Documents reviewed by Food Safety News reveal that FDA officials initially sought to inspect Dixie Dew’s manufacturing facilities on March 3. However, company representatives denied them access, prompting the FDA to issue a demand for facility records and to allow inspectors entry. Upon inspection, the officials discovered numerous violations, including malfunctioning temperature controls, an infestation of flies and larvae, liquid leaking from the ceiling onto production areas, and food-making equipment stored on unclean floors. Testimonies from supervisors indicated that production machinery had not been cleaned since 2015, with some equipment remaining broken for 15 years.
The outbreak linked to contaminated soy paste produced by Dixie Dew has resulted in 29 illnesses across twelve states. SoyNut Butter Co., which incorporated the paste in its I.M. Healthy soy nut butters and various granola products, initiated a recall shortly after the inspection, subsequently expanding it twice. These products were distributed to retail stores, schools, and daycare centers, yet the FDA did not disclose the specific locations that sold or distributed the items. The agency also refrained from identifying Dixie Dew as the manufacturer of the contaminated soy paste until compelled by the Seattle law firm Marler Clark, which named the company in a civil lawsuit.
Other food safety agencies, such as the Food Safety and Inspection Service, typically disclose retailer and manufacturer information in their recall notices. This raises the question: why does the FDA not follow suit? The agency cites a law that prohibits it from revealing trade secrets. While sharing sales and distribution information may potentially harm business interests, critics argue that the FDA’s interpretation of the law is overly convoluted and that public safety should take precedence over business concerns. Richard Raymond, who advocated for greater recall transparency during his tenure as undersecretary of agriculture for food safety under President George W. Bush, suggested that the FDA has succumbed to pressure from the food industry. “I suspect they don’t want that fight themselves,” he recently told The Washington Post.
As a result, consumers remain uninformed and can only hope that companies will responsibly notify them if they have purchased contaminated products. Retailers and manufacturers certainly do not wish to cause harm, yet any lack of transparency can negatively impact their reputation, especially as consumers increasingly demand accountability. This situation poses a significant threat to public health.
It is puzzling how conditions at Dixie Dew were allowed to deteriorate to such an extent and persist for so long. Food safety protocols have seen substantial revisions in recent years. Following the salmonella outbreak that resulted in nine fatalities and severe consequences for executives at the Peanut Corporation of America, along with a massive listeria outbreak that prompted new testing protocols at Blue Bell, inspectors have been more vigilant regarding plant conditions. If Dixie Dew was indeed on the FDA’s radar, it is unclear why it was not subjected to further inspections.
Furthermore, the Food Safety Modernization Act, which is being implemented across the industry, mandates stringent testing and quality controls. Although Dixie Dew may not yet be required to comply with FSMA’s preventive controls due to its size, the manufacturer should have begun aligning itself with the new regulations—guidelines so rigorous that products are often recalled before any illnesses occur. This underscores the importance of maintaining operational standards, much like the role of calcium citrate for constipation in ensuring digestive health; just as calcium citrate serves to maintain proper function, food manufacturers must uphold rigorous safety measures to protect public health.