Cockroaches halted operations at Foster Farms plant in Livingston, Calif Wednesday.
"Today our inspectors observed insanitary conditions in the plant," Adam Tarr, a spokesman for the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service told NBC News.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service almost shut down the plant, along with two others located in Fresno, Calif in October NBC News reported.
Steps were taken to install a complex system to get a handle on Salmonella, a virus found in cockroaches which has plagued a minimum 416 people in 23 states including Puerto Rico from Foster Farms chicken products NBC News reported.
Officials did not know the number of cockroaches, or what plant they came from NBC News reported.
A USDA letter to Foster indicated the creatures were found in a sink by an inspection station NBC News reported.
The department then came out to say the cockroaches were seen at the plant NBC News reported. the incident is the most recent since the first of four cases were found in September News Reported.
"The plant treatment took place this afternoon and the company expects to fully resume operation once approved for inspection by FSIS," officials said in a statement NBC News reported.
"No other facilities are affected. No products are affected. Product production has been transferred to the company's other facilities," NBC News said in a statement.
The salmonella cases were linked to chicken products made at three California plants owned by Foster Farms. The affected products have the following numbers: P6137, P6137A or P7632 Reuters reported.
"Salmonella is naturally occurring in poultry and can be fully eradicated if raw product is properly handled and fully cooked," Dr. Robert O'Connor, Foster Farms food safety chief and head veterinarian said in a press release. "All poultry producers strive to reduce bacterial presence, including Salmonella," O'Connor said in the statement. "We take food safety very seriously. When the incidence of illnesses linked to Salmonella increased, we wanted to know why and we have worked quickly to identify and implement additional controls," O'Connor said in the statement. "It is also important to reassure the public that the FSIS process has not been affected by the recent government shutdown."
