Feds: Unsanitary conditions at downstate poultry plant

WHITE PLAINS -- A federal complaint accuses a suburban New York kosher poultry slaughter and processing plant of operating under unsanitary conditions.

Federal officials on Tuesday are expected to seek a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against New Square Meats in federal court in White Plains.

According to the complaint, federal inspectors in April found poultry residue on the plant's walls and on an office phone, and a chiller tank full of processed birds did not have running water.

Nearly all of the plant's poultry products go to a grocery store in New Square, a Hasidic Jewish village in Ramapo. The plant slaughters about 1,600 birds a day five days a week.

The plant also does business as Adir Poultry Inc. Its lawyer did not return a call for comment on Monday.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)