Joseph Realdine, then a consumer safety officer and now a Regional Supervisor of Inspectors, testified that he was directed to perform a food safety inspection at Homestead in June 2003. He sought authority to perform an intensive test of the Homestead plant. He specifically wanted to test for Lysteria monocytogenes because he regarded the plant to be at high risk. As part of the inspection, a wooden partition between the raw meat area and the cooking area of the plant was tested. Upon applying pressure to the wall, the wood broke away and a worm came out of the hole in the wall. The sample collected from the rotted wood area was positive for Lysteria monocytogenes. As a result of the testing, inspection services at the plant were suspended. He returned in September 2003, after the plant was allowed to reopen, and performed a second intensive inspection. Once again a positive test for Lysteria monocytogenes occurred. Additionally, he testified that one of the ovens produced a product that was too cool and that the condensation problem had not been cured
Homestead Gourmet Foods Testimony
April 20, 2020