YAKIMA — The owner of a fruit processing plant in Washington has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit claiming the company produced juices tainted by inorganic arsenic and moldy fruit.
Valley Processing Inc. owner Mary Ann Bliesner agreed to a court order prohibiting the company from producing fruit juice until sanitation steps are taken at its Sunnyside plant, about 35 miles southeast of Yakima, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.
Valley Processing Inc. opened in 1980 and manufactured fruit juice and concentrate.
The injunction stemmed from a complaint filed by the U.S. Justice Department on behalf of departments of the Food and Drug Administration and Agriculture, Health and Human Services.
Federal officials claimed that Valley Processing Inc. was found to have products contaminated with inorganic arsenic, which can be found in soil and groundwater, and patulin, a chemical caused by mold on spoiled fruit.
Court documents alleged investigators found that a lot of apple juice that was not held from distribution contained 28 parts per billion of arsenic, more than double the threshold of 10 parts per billion in juice or concentrate samples.
Investigators also said a 2019 FDA inspection found similar levels of arsenic and claimed the company did not investigate the cause of the contamination and failed to investigate or track patulin levels.
FDA officials also found in inspections dating back to 2016 that the company used outdated grape juice that was not stored in a refrigerated warehouse and that feathers, droppings and insect fragments from birds living in one warehouse were visible on barrels of juice concentrate.
“Although defendants claimed to be interested in making necessary changes, compliance with the law has clearly not been a priority,” the complaint said.
Washington, D.C. attorney Lillian S. Hardy, who is representing the company, argued the claims lacked context and were erroneous, but said the company decided to settle without disputing them.
“I can confirm that Valley Processing has ceased operations, its assets have been liquidated and the company has no intent to ever resume operations,” Hardy said.
Prosser company Milne Fruit bought the company’s land, buildings and equipment in September. Milne Fruit President Michael Sorenson said it was an “asset sale” and not a business acquisition.
He said the company has implemented its own safety programs and policies at the Sunnyside plant and that operations are being run solely by Milne.
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