Cockroaches crawling across cheese-making equipment and flies landing on ready-to-eat food are among the troubling conditions federal inspectors documented at a Florida food manufacturing facility.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a formal warning to Tipical Latin Food Corp., which operates as La Pradera in Doral, Florida, after inspectors uncovered multiple food safety violations involving pest activity, sanitation practices, and inadequate contamination controls.
The findings raise concerns about how some ready-to-eat cheese products were manufactured and whether the company had sufficient safeguards to prevent harmful bacteria from contaminating food.
Inspectors visited the facility between April 20 and April 27, 2026. The agency issued its warning on August 28 and made it public on October 6.
The company manufactures Venezuelan-style cheeses, including queso de mano, queso guayanes, and queso estilo telita. It also produces cachapas, traditional corn pancakes.
The FDA determined that the company’s ready-to-eat cheese products were adulterated under federal law because they were manufactured or handled under unsanitary conditions that could allow contamination.
However, the warning letter did not establish that customers became sick or that laboratory testing confirmed dangerous bacteria in the finished cheeses.
FDA Inspectors Discover Cockroaches and Flies Near Cheese Products
Among the most concerning findings was live insects in areas where employees prepared cheese for consumption.
On April 20 and 21, inspectors observed several insects identified as apparent flies landing on food-contact surfaces, other equipment, and ready-to-eat products during queso de mano production.
The situation became more troubling when inspectors discovered several small insects described as apparent cockroaches.
According to the inspection findings, one was crawling across a tray holding clean metal rings used to mold cheese.
Another was spotted on the cheese molding machine itself.
Inspectors also counted approximately seven crawling on a box containing plastic bags of cheese curds, while two more were seen on the processing-room floor.
These observations raised concerns about the company’s ability to prevent pests from entering areas where food was being prepared.
The FDA also documented a door left open to the outside of the building on both inspection days.
Federal food manufacturing regulations require companies to take effective measures to exclude pests from processing areas and protect products from contamination.
Most concerning, the inspection wasn’t the first time the FDA identified pest-control problems at the facility.
The agency said similar violations had been documented during an earlier inspection in December 2024.
Employees Were Observed Handling Cheese Without Proper Handwashing
Pest activity wasn’t the only issue federal inspectors identified.
The FDA also raised concerns about employee hygiene practices during food production.
According to the warning letter, workers were observed putting on gloves before entering the cheese-processing area without first washing or sanitizing their hands.
Some employees then touched dirty equipment, their faces, or soiled aprons before handling ready-to-eat cheese.
Inspectors also documented workers wearing multiple layers of gloves, removing the outer layer, and putting on another pair without washing or sanitizing their hands.
These practices can undermine the protection gloves are supposed to provide during food preparation.
The FDA said the company’s existing procedures were inadequate to control contamination risks from employee handling.
For consumers, this highlights an important distinction: wearing disposable gloves doesn’t automatically make food handling sanitary.
Workers must still follow appropriate handwashing practices and avoid transferring contamination from unclean surfaces to food.
Related Post:7 Proven Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Pest Free
Cheese Equipment Still Contained Residue After Cleaning
The condition of the equipment used to manufacture the cheeses raised additional concerns.
On April 21, inspectors asked employees whether they had cleaned and sanitized parts of a cheese molding machine. Workers answered that they had.
However, FDA inspectors subsequently found cheese residue on machine components that came directly into contact with food.
They also observed white residue on cheese molds workers said they had cleaned and sanitized.
Other metal molds contained rough welds and overlapping seams where food particles could accumulate.
Some of those crevices contained black residue, according to the warning letter.
The facility itself also showed signs of inadequate maintenance. Inspectors documented cracked, pitted floors; standing water; and cheese residue in processing areas.
These conditions can make thorough cleaning more difficult and increase the risk of contamination.
The FDA noted that some equipment maintenance concerns had previously been identified during inspections in December 2024 and May 2025.
FDA Says Company Lacked a Required Food Safety Plan
Beyond the visible sanitation problems, regulators identified a major gap in the facility’s food safety management.
The FDA said the company had not prepared or implemented the required written food safety plan for any of its manufactured products.
Such a plan is intended to help manufacturers identify potential hazards and establish procedures to prevent them.
It can include sanitation controls, allergen management, temperature monitoring, corrective actions, and recall procedures.
For La Pradera, inspectors found that the company had not adequately evaluated the potential growth of harmful bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes, in its soft and semi-soft cheeses.
The FDA also reported that one of the facility’s coolers was not monitoring temperatures.
This was particularly concerning because the products were refrigerated before shipment and received no further treatment after packaging to eliminate harmful microorganisms.
The absence of a required food safety plan was not new. The FDA said it had documented the same problem during inspections in December 2024 and May 2025.
Regulators also found that the company had not properly evaluated the possibility of undeclared milk allergens.
Why Ready-to-Eat Cheese Requires Careful Handling
Unlike foods that consumers thoroughly cook before eating, ready-to-eat cheese may go directly from its packaging onto a plate.
That makes sanitation during manufacturing especially important.
Soft cheeses can be more susceptible to Listeria contamination than harder varieties because of their moisture content and manufacturing characteristics.
Listeria is particularly concerning for pregnant women, adults 65 and older, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems.
In serious cases, infections can lead to hospitalization or life-threatening complications.
However, the FDA’s warning against La Pradera does not mean inspectors confirmed Listeria contamination in its cheese.
The agency identified conditions that could allow harmful bacteria to contaminate or multiply in food.
That distinction matters for consumers trying to understand the seriousness of the findings without assuming an outbreak has occurred.
Has the Florida Company Recalled Its Cheese?
As of October 14, 2026, no recall involving the company’s cheese appeared in FDA recall listings, according to an October 15 report by Food World News. The public warning letter itself did not announce a recall.
The FDA also did not identify specific grocery stores carrying the affected company’s products, or report confirmed illnesses linked to the inspection findings.
Consumers should therefore avoid confusing this warning letter with a nationwide cheese recall.
Anyone concerned about a particular package can check the manufacturer information and consult the FDA’s official recall database for updates.
The agency’s warning also does not establish that all Venezuelan-style cheeses or similar products from other manufacturers are unsafe.
What Happens Next for the Florida Cheese Manufacturer?
The FDA directed Tipical Latin Food Corp. to provide a written response within 15 working days of receiving its August 28 warning letter.
The company was instructed to explain what corrective actions it had taken and provide documentation showing how it would prevent the problems from happening again.
The FDA warned that failure to address the violations adequately could result in further enforcement, including product seizure, an injunction, or suspension of the facility’s food registration if applicable legal requirements are met.
When the warning was issued, the agency said it had not received a response to the inspection findings. A later company response or completed corrective action could not be confirmed from the available public reporting.
For American consumers, the case highlights why food safety inspections matter even when no illnesses have been reported.
From controlling pests to properly cleaning equipment and monitoring refrigeration temperatures, routine manufacturing practices help protect foods that families bring home.
The Florida inspection also raises a question about repeated violations: whether manufacturers effectively correct problems after regulators identify them.
For now, the FDA’s documented findings remain a serious reminder that food safety depends on what happens long before a product reaches the grocery store shelf.
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