Rats overrun natural foods warehouse

   U.S. Marshals this week seized food products stored in a Fremont, Calif., company’s warehouse after inspectors from the Food and Drug Administration found widespread and active rodent infestation.
   The FDA initiated the seizure of various food products in the warehouse owned by the San Francisco Herb & Natural Food Co. on Aug. 21 under a warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern of California.
   FDA inspectors found significant insanitary conditions throughout the warehouse during a recent inspection, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. These conditions included the presence of live and dead rodents in and around food products, and rodent nesting materials in food.
   The seized goods had been under an embargo by California’s Department of Public Health. “Those articles of food that were stored in metal and glass containers were exempt from the embargo and the seizure,” FDA said.