FDA 483 OBSERVATION · #201 OF 1,923 MOST-CITED

Seams on food contact surfaces

FDA cited this observation 147 times across 145 firms in recent inspections. Below: how it breaks down by program area and fiscal year, and real examples of how FDA worded it on Form FDA 483.

What this grouping is not

An observation-type page groups FDA’s published citation records. The grouping, the compliance steps and the root causes are SPEQ synthesis, not an FDA classification of any citation, and a count measures what FDA published rather than risk.

BY PROGRAM AREA
Foods147
BY FISCAL YEAR
FY20201
FY20192
FY201812
FY201775
FY201657

What this observation is associated with

Firms cited for this observation also appear in FDA compliance actions — warning letters, injunctions, or seizures — at 0.5× the rate of the average FDA-cited firm (4.1% vs 7.8%), across 145 FEI-matched firms.

This is an association, not causation, and reflects co-occurrence in FDA's records — not a claim that the observation caused or preceded the action.

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How FDA worded it — real examples

Failure to have smoothly bonded or well maintained seams on food contact surfaces, to minimize accumulation of food particles, dirt and organic matter and the opportunity for growth of microorganisms.

Bake R Us, Inc. · Gardena, California · Foods · 2020-01-31

Failure to have smoothly bonded or well maintained seams on food contact surfaces, to minimize accumulation of food particles, dirt and organic matter and the opportunity for growth of microorganisms.

Tripacific Marine Pte Limited · Suva · Foods · 2019-08-22

Failure to have smoothly bonded or well maintained seams on food contact surfaces, to minimize accumulation of and the opportunity for growth of microorganisms.

The Fiji Fish Marketing Group Ltd. aka The Fiji Fish Co. Ltd · Suva · Foods · 2019-08-20

Failure to have smoothly bonded or well maintained seams on food contact surfaces, to minimize accumulation of food particles and organic matter and the opportunity for growth of microorganisms.

CONSERVAS Y CONGELADOS DE MEXICO SA DE CV · San Pedro Cholula · Foods · 2018-08-20

Failure to have smoothly bonded or well maintained seams on food contact surfaces, to minimize accumulation of food particles, dirt and organic matter and the opportunity for growth of microorganisms.

Tougias Baking Company, Inc. · Springfield, Massachusetts · Foods · 2018-07-20

Failure to have smoothly bonded or well maintained seams on food contact surfaces, to minimize accumulation of food particles, dirt and organic matter and the opportunity for growth of microorganisms.

Tortilleria Provincia · Bowling Green, Kentucky · Foods · 2018-04-20

Related SPEQ references

Where to read the requirements behind this observation area on SPEQ. These are SPEQ's topic and audience pages — not an FDA classification of the citation.

Food industry →

Examples are a representative sample of FDA's published inspection observations. Open the 483 observation explorer →