A former Sunnyside fruit processor has been banned from producing fruit juices unless it can demonstrate its product is not contaminated, federal court documents say.
A consent decree issued Thursday in U.S. District Court in Yakima settles legal action filed in November against Valley Processing Inc. and its owner, Mary Ann Bliesner, alleging the company produced juices that were contaminated with inorganic arsenic and mold.
“I intend to fully comply with the terms of the consent decree,” Bliesner said in a statement issued Friday by her attorney. “Valley Processing has liquidated its assets, and I permanently left the juice industry.”
Federal officials alleged in a complaint filed in November that Valley Processing, which was a supplier for the school lunch program, had products that were contaminated with inorganic arsenic, which can be found in soil and groundwater, and patulin, a chemical that is caused by mold on spoiled fruit.
Neither substance can be removed through pasteurization, court documents stated, but patulin can be destroyed if the juice is fermented to make alcohol or vinegar.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspections, going back to 2016, found the company using outdated grape juice that was not stored in a refrigerated warehouse; birds living in one warehouse; and feathers, droppings and insect fragments on top of juice concentrate barrels, court documents said.
In a 2019 inspection, officials saw 46 rotten and moldy apples pass through the culling process, and found apple and pear juice lots with arsenic levels above federal standards.
Thursday’s consent decree bars Valley Processing from producing any juice or food products unless a consultant comes up with a plan to ensure that sanitation standards at the plant are maintained, and employees are trained in proper sanitation and food-handling techniques.
Lilian Hardy, the company’s attorney said earlier that Valley Processing had taken corrective actions when FDA inspectors identified health or safety issues. She said the company chose to settle without disputing the allegations, even though she said the complaints lacked context and were erroneous.
Prosser-based Milne Fruit purchased Valley Processing’s land, buildings and equipment in September, Milne Fruit President Michael Sorenson said in an earlier interview. The sale specifically excluded any food products in inventory, raw materials and partially processed fruit juices, Sorenson said.
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January 16, 2021 at 09:00AM
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Consent decree bars former Sunnyside juice processor from making fruit juice - Yakima Herald-Republic
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