WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has determined that D2 Doll Partnership, Kris Langley and Jim Langley were not responsibly connected to Chef’d LLC (Chef’d), El Segundo, Calif.

According to a press release, Chef’d violated the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) by failing to pay a reparation award totaling $49,189 in November 2018. As a result, USDA imposed sanctions on the business, including requiring that all principals may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.

USDA made an initial determination that D2 Doll Partnership, Kris Langley and Jim Langley were responsibly connected to Chef’d and subject to sanction. D2 Doll Partnership, Kris Langley and Jim Langley contested this initial determination and USDA has now determined that they were not responsibly connected to Chef’d.

As a result, D2 Doll Partnership, Kris Langley and Jim Langley may be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.

The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and broker within the fruit and vegetable industry.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,350 claims involving more than $63 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $156 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Agency