As if it wasn't bad enough that a food plant provided moldy food for a school lunch that ultimately sickened 18 North Carolina children, we've now learned that federal inspectors have complained for years concerning food safety violations at the plant. Despite significant food safety violations occurring, the food plant never implemented procedures to improve the quality of the food and promote safer consumer products.

We've previously written about the reprocessing or reconditioning of food that would otherwise have been considered contaminated. At this particular food plant, such practices were often taken that ultimately resulted in applesauce being sold on the market that, as one retired federal food inspector stated, belonged in the garbage.

Leaks in packaging often caused applesauce to spoil at the facility. But instead of throwing the applesauce off, the mold would simply be removed and the remaining applesauce reheated and then sold.

Even one of the plant's own consultants felt such a process would not completely remove the mold. Though employees at the plant often told inspectors that such practices would discontinue, the food would continue to be processed in the same manner. It wasn't under FDA inspectors were finally informed of what was going on (following reports of the 18 school children being sickened) that the reprocessing of applesauce was discontinued.

The food plant in question is still in business, and it's likely this plant took such shortcuts when it came to food safety because it saved the company money. Such a cavalier attitude towards safety is why we have attorneys representing plaintiffs in product liability suits.

Source: King5.com, "Federal inspectors told to ignore moldy food at local plant," by Chris Ingalls, Feb. 14, 2012