Putrid and rotten fruit used in juice for school lunches, says Eastern WA indictment
The 80-year-old owner of a Sunnyside fruit juice plant has been indicted federally on accusations the plant sold hundreds and thousands of gallons of juice and concentrate made from rotten, moldy and filthy ingredients.
Some of the juice ended up in school lunch programs. Valley Processing Inc. stored some juice and fruit concentrate outdoors in summer heat and winter cold, sometimes for years, in inadequately covered containers before it was sold for human consumption, according to allegations in court documents.
Decaying remains of animals, bird and rat feces, dog and cat hair, feathers, fur and insects were found in stored drums or vats of concentrate and other fruit product, according to court documents.
Rather than waste the product, concentrate that was putrid and years old was blended with newer concentrate and labeled with a new lot number and date of production and sold by Valley Processing, owned by Mary Ann Bliesner, according to court documents.
Both Bliesner and her company were named in the indictment filed this week in federal court. Each faces 12 felony counts, including fraud, conspiracy, false statements and violating food safety laws, after allegedly lying to regulators and selling apple and grape juice concentrate worldwide that was unsafe and misbranded between October 2012 and June 2019.
Some of the juice ended up in school lunch programs. Valley Processing Inc. stored some juice and fruit concentrate outdoors in summer heat and winter cold, sometimes for years, in inadequately covered containers before it was sold for human consumption, according to allegations in court documents.
Decaying remains of animals, bird and rat feces, dog and cat hair, feathers, fur and insects were found in stored drums or vats of concentrate and other fruit product, according to court documents.
Rather than waste the product, concentrate that was putrid and years old was blended with newer concentrate and labeled with a new lot number and date of production and sold by Valley Processing, owned by Mary Ann Bliesner, according to court documents.
Both Bliesner and her company were named in the indictment filed this week in federal court. Each faces 12 felony counts, including fraud, conspiracy, false statements and violating food safety laws, after allegedly lying to regulators and selling apple and grape juice concentrate worldwide that was unsafe and misbranded between October 2012 and June 2019.
Source: www.tri-cityherald.com
