Rome’s Zartic, Inc. a subsidiary of Pierre Foods in Cincinnati, Ohio, has posted a $200,000 bond with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to obtain a license to operate in the produce industry.

Zartic, founded by James E. Mauer in 1976, has been a maker and distributor of packaged beef, poultry, pork and veal for decades but according to USDA regulations, has been required to get a permit to distribute produce.

A spokesman for the USDA said that apparently the company has been including vegetables in some of its packaged product. Any company which purchases or sells more than 2000 pounds of fresh or frozen produce is required to have a license under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

Zartic’s parent company, Pierre Foods, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December of 2008, Zartic was required to post a bond assuring the industry that it would be able to pay for it’s produce.

Pierre acquired Zartic in December of 2006 for $94 million along with the assumption of some of Zartic’s liabilities.

In February of 2008, Pierre announced that it was closing the old Zartic plant in Cedartown and moving production from that plant to other plants including the operation on Lavender Drive in West Rome.

After filing for bankruptcy protection in July of 2008, Pierre was able to quickly arrange for a $35 million capital infusion from Oaktree Management L.P. and was able to come out of bankruptcy less than six months after it’s initial filing.