Mary Ann Bliesner, Food Safety Laws Violation, Washington 2019

Yakima, Washington – A federal grand jury has indicted Mary Ann Bliesner, an 80-year-old Sunnyside business owner, for allegedly violating food safety laws, lying to regulators, and selling rotten and adulterated fruit juice products, including apple juice and grape juice concentrate, to customers worldwide.

The indictment alleges that between October 2012 and June 2019, Bliesner and her company, Valley Processing Inc., conspired with others to introduce unsafe, adulterated, and misbranded fruit juice products into interstate commerce. The products contained harmful substances, were produced under unsanitary and filthy conditions, and were unsafe and unfit for human consumption.

According to the indictment, Bliesner and VPI lied to customers about the age and quality of their products, which in some cases included grape juice concentrate that had been stored in unsafe conditions outside the VPI facility for years and exposed to the elements before being sold and shipped to customers, including those producing grape juice for the National School Lunch Program.

The indictment also alleges that Bliesner and VPI failed to register two facilities used to store fruit juice products, and lied to inspectors with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about their existence and use. One of these facilities, known as the “Grape Road Facility,” was used to store tens of thousands of gallons of grape juice concentrate in concrete vats that were not properly covered or cooled.

When FDA investigators finally learned about the facility during a May 2018 inspection, the juice concentrate had a layer of mold and crust so thick and firm that a live rat was observed and photographed walking on top of it. Testing of samples taken at the Grape Road Facility indicated that the product was contaminated with bird and rodent feces, fur, insects, decaying remains of animals, mold, yeast, and other contaminants.

Bliesner and VPI agreed to a consent injunction in January 2021, promising not to process, manufacture, prepare, pack, hold, or distribute any type of food without first notifying and receiving approval from the FDA.

The charges against Bliesner carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, while the potential charges against VPI carry fines of $500,000 or more for each of the twelve counts charged.

Defendant: Mary Ann Bliesner, Valley Processing Inc.

Criminal Charge: 12 counts of fraud, conspiracy, false statements, and violating food safety laws

City and State: Yakima, Washington

Date: 2012-2019

Sentence: Up to 20 years in federal prison, fines of $500,000 or more for VPI

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