‘Adulterated’ plantains, sorrel and rodent droppings at a Miami ‘major food distributor’
State inspectors saw signs of rodent activity on branded food products at a Miami food distributor last week.
The Florida Department of Agriculture’s permit center for Kingston-Miami Trading Company describes it as a “major food distributor” and the company’s building at 1465 NW 21st Ter. says it specializes in “Jamaican, Oriental, British and Caribbean food products.”
Some of those products were taken off the market by Inspector Raymond Collada. He dropped Stop Sale Orders on 30 9-pound packages of Angel Brand Dried Sorrel, four 50-pound packages of Kam Long Dried Pigeon Peas and one 50-pound pack of plantains from Guatemala.
“Food deemed adulterated,” was the explanation on the Stop Sale Order part of the inspection.
The Stop Sale Orders ended the inspection. The opening violation read: “observed rodent droppings on top of a pallet of Sorrel tea leaves. Boxes appeared to be wet, some type of liquid marks on several boxes ... observed various food products gnawed by rodents, bags torn, ripped with holes in the bags of food products.”
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The rodents made another appearance later in the inspection, in the violation concerning doors to the outside.
Inspector Collada noted both receiving doors were kept open when deliveries weren’t being received. Also, “the screen used at the bay doors is torn, not [having] a complete seal to protect properly.” The east bay door screen wasn’t of the proper mesh, “nor does it completely seal to protect properly against pests.”
The result? “Observed heavy rodent droppings throughout the area where employee kitchen is located, behind equipment, on the floors, and the stove they use for cooking meals. Observed rodent droppings inside the dry storage cooler being used for Sorrel tea product.
“Observed a small rodent caught on a glue board in the same dry cooler. Observed several droppings on the floor near the main bay doors.”
Collada also found the “employee restroom is not maintained as clean,” and parts of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for food safety reached only the level of inadequate.
This inspection also counted as an U.S. Food & Drug Administration inspection.
A statement from Kingston-Miami Trading Company emailed to the Miami Herald Monday said: “We are fully cooperating with the Inspector from Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and working diligently to rectify the problems as quickly as possible.
“We are switching pest control companies in addition to working on other corrective and preventative measures. We are looking forward to [having] all the issues resolved by the re-inspection date.”
