FDA 483 - Viking Mississippi - September 05, 2025

During an inspection of Viking Mississippi conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from August 22 to September 5, 2025, several critical food safety and sanitation deficiencies were identified. The FDA Form 483, issued to Sandra Mooney, Director On Board Operations, detailed five significant observations. Key issues included the contamination of ready-to-eat cheese slices by raw turkey patties due to improper handling and storage. The firm also failed to maintain perishable foods at safe temperatures, with various items like blue cheese, sour cream, yogurt, deli meat, and sea moss observed above 50°F. Additionally, there was an absence of a systematic method for tracking foods held without temperature control using time as a public health control. Further observations highlighted inadequate sanitization of multiuse eating and drinking utensils, as the main galley's warewashing machine failed to consistently reach the required 160°F surface temperature. An employee was also observed handling ice and equipment with unclean hands. Lastly, several employee handwashing facilities, particularly in housekeeping pantries, lacked essential supplies such as soap and paper towels. These observations, documented under the regulatory framework of Section 704(b) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, indicate conditions where food may be compromised. Viking Mississippi is expected to implement prompt and effective corrective actions to address these findings.