United States officials have sued a Philadelphia poultry store accused of selling improperly labeled chickens that were held under unsanitary conditions.
The lawsuit was filed against J & B Poultry Market on 1450 S. 7th Street and its president Johnny Wong.
According to the complaint, the store violated the Poultry Products Inspection Act which prohibits companies and individuals from selling "misbranded" or "adulterated" poultry. The lawsuit states chickens at J & B lacked safe handling instructions and other information required by law. The lawsuit also alleges the chickens were held under unacceptable conditions, including in the back of a pickup truck outside and inside the store when temperatures were as high as 80 degrees.
Officials say they found over 20 bags of misbranded and unlabeled chickens stored on a shelf with no refrigeration. Wong also allegedly admitted to failing to properly label the poultry and failing to immediately refrigerate it.
It's not the first time Wong’s store has been under investigation. On May 5, 2009, the poultry slaughterhouse received a notice from the United States Department of Agriculture for Food Safety for allegedly violating the Poultry Products Act. On July 13, 2011, October 31, 2012 and May 26, 2015, J & B Poultry received the same warning for allegedly storing, selling and handling non-federally inspected poultry and transporting chickens throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
J & B Poultry has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
