WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has entered into a settlement agreement with Ionian Food Imports Inc., Stamford, Connecticut, for allegedly operating without a valid and effective license under the Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act (PACA). Ionian Food Imports Inc. has complied with the terms of a settlement agreement alleging that the company violated section 3(a) of the PACA for conducting business operations subject to the PACA without a valid and effective license during the period of May 2016 to May 2017. The agreement resulted in a civil penalty of $11,000.
According to a press release, the parties entered into a consent decree on April 17, 2018, wherein it was agreed that PACA would issue a new license to Ionian Food Imports Inc. upon application, and that the agreement would settle and relinquish those civil claims for violations under PACA that relate to alleged previous operations without a license.
Ionian Food Imports Inc. paid the civil penalty and applied for a new PACA license, which was issued on April 24, 2018. The company is now operating with a valid and effective PACA license.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,400 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,500 callers with issues valued at approximately $151 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
