A company has pleaded guilty to selling tainted fruit juice for children’s packed lunches after animal faeces and remains were discovered in the product.
Valley Processing Inc. (VPI) of Sunnyside in Washington, US, is reported to have incorrectly stored grape juice concentrate for years at a time, as reported by Need To Know.
The juice was stored in concrete vats where it was not cooled or covered, resulting in the presence of contaminants including bird and rodent faeces, fur, insects, animal remains, mould and yeast.
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A live rat was even seen walking across a large crust that had formed on the juice by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators.
The company attempted to cover up the issue by placing caution tape over the entrance to the room where the juice was stored.
VPI subsequently admitted to selling the contaminated juice, which was mixed with newer products, and lying about its age.
Some of the blended juice concentrate was even exposed to the elements outside.
FDA investigators were also lied to when they questioned the room’s contents during a May 2018 inspection and were assured by VPI that it contained no juice or related products.
Mary Ann Bliesner, 83, the CEO of the now-defunct company, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts under the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FDCA) last month.
These included failing to register a food facility with the US FDA.
She revealed that the room containing the contaminated juice had been used to store earlier seasons’ unsold products.
VPI pleaded guilty to failing to prevent the introduction of the tainted juice into interstate commerce, which saw the tainted grape juice concentrate delivered for use in the National School Lunch Program.
The company, which was banned from producing juice in January 2021, was initially charged with 12 counts of fraud and food safety crimes by a federal grand jury in September 2022.
However, it was not until December 2024 that Ms Bliesner pleaded guilty, the US Attorney’s Office revealed in a press release.
She admitted that the juice products sold were not fit for human consumption.
Ms Bliesner and VPI agreed to pay a forfeiture amount of $742,139 (£599,768.87) from the proceeds of the company’s misconduct.
The sale of the contaminated juice, available in apple and grape flavours, took place within the US and abroad between October 2012 and June 2019.
US Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington said: “Bliesner and her company, Valley Processing, produced juice in filthy and unsafe conditions, mislabelled that product, and then sold it to the National School Lunch Program that serves low-income school children.
“School children deserve safe and nutritious food. Nothing is more important than 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.”
Ms Walderf added: “In this case, the company’s actions put at risk the health of consumers, including schoolchildren, who consumed the fruit juice.
“FDA will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who attempt to subvert our regulatory processes at the expense of consumer safety.”
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