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Distributor that sells meat to NYC food carts admits to selling uninspected, misbranded products
By
Catalina Gonella
Published May 30, 2023
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By
Catalina Gonella
Published May 30, 2023
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A poultry distributor that sells to food carts in New York has admitted to preparing and selling uninspected and misbranded products — and agreed to stop, according to federal prosecutors.
The U.S. government sued N and M Food Wholesale Supply, Inc. and its owners Omar Ahme, Halim Elsayed and Mousa Ashraf for “repeatedly preparing and selling uninspected or misbranded poultry products” since 2018. Their actions were in violation of the Poultry Products Inspection Act, a law that aims to protect public health by imposing requirements on food suppliers regarding the inspection, processing, labeling, and packaging of poultry products, officials said.
“Every individual deserves the assurance that the food they purchase is properly inspected and safe to eat,” said Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Paul Kiecker. “FSIS remains committed to public health and we will take swift action to protect American consumers.”
According to the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, N and M offered for sale more than 900 pounds of misbranded poultry that had not been federally inspected. On multiple occasions, the company prepared marinated chicken kebab skewers in a processing room inside N and M’s warehouse without federal inspection, officials said.
In one occasion in May 2021, N and M bought 280 pounds of chicken leg meat, cut and marinated it, and then returned it to its original packaging before selling it, uninspected and misbranded, federal prosecutors said.
“New Yorkers should be able to eat food from food carts and other retailers with the peace of mind that upstream wholesalers have complied with USDA safety regulations,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. “Through this lawsuit, we are sending a message to food wholesalers that they must adhere to the law in order to protect the public health.”
Attorney information for N and M and its owners was not immediately available.
A consent decree filed last week states that N and M and its owners admitted and accepted responsibility for selling non-federally inspected and misbranded poultry products. The consent decree also states that the company is prohibited from again violating the PPIA, and will be subject to more actions if they violate the agreement.
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