In a case that has raised concerns about food safety practices, the former president of Valley Processing Inc. (VPI), Mary Ann Bliesner, has admitted to her role in the distribution of contaminated fruit juice. Bliesner, 83, and her now-defunct company, based in Sunnyside, Washington, entered guilty pleas on misdemeanor charges under the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FDCA), with specific infractions including failing to register a food facility and allowing the spread of adulterated grape juice concentrate in interstate commerce, some of which reached the National School Lunch Program.
The Department of Justice has disclosed that between October 2012 and June 2019, VPI was engaged in the sale of apple and grape juice that was not only potentially unsafe but also intentionally misbranded concerning its age and quality. The deceit, extended to combining old juice, exposed to the elements for years, with fresh concentrate, and selling it off as new. Moreover, the company admitted to avoiding FDA registration for their "Grape Road Facility," which was utilized for storage and was found to be riddled with contaminants such as feces, fur, and mold, "said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton.
An investigation by the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations unraveled the disturbing conditions at the facility, eventually leading to a federal grand jury indicting Bliesner and VPI on 12 counts of fraud and food safety crimes. As part of the plea, the former president and her company have agreed to pay a sum of $742,139 in criminal forfeiture. This turn of justice comes after a civil complaint in November 2020, which was followed by a consent injunction in January 2021, barring the company from any food-related activities without FDA authorization.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington expressed her position on the matter, stating, "School children deserve safe and nutritious food. Nothing is more important that the health and safety of our children. I commend the excellent work by investigators with the Food and Drug Administration and prosecutors in my office who uncovered, and stopped this conduct and are protecting our public health," according to a statement on the DOJ website. The contaminated juices not only posed a risk to consumers but primarily endangered children, the primary beneficiaries of the National School Lunch Program.
Both Bliesner and VPI are currently awaiting their sentencing hearing, set for March 26, 2025. A federal district court judge will decide their sentences, taking into consideration the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Details of the investigation and the enforcement efforts are available on the Consumer Protection Branch's website, with prosecutors James Hennelly and David Gunn, together with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Devin Curda, leading the case.
