Bad Cheese Results In 4 Indictments
CHICAGO (WWJ/AP) - Prosecutors have announced the indictment of four people who are accused of ignoring Food and Drug Administration orders and distributing more than 110,000 pounds of Mexican cheese to five states, including Michigan.
Some of it contained salmonella, e. coli and other potentially harmful bacteria.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago says the suspects even scraped mold and fungus off 35- and 40-pound wheels of cheese that unhappy customers had returned so they could be resold.
Prosecutors say there's no evidence anyone became ill eating the cheese.
A Wisconsin company distributing the cheese under the brand Queso Cincho De Guerrero to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, and Texas, issued a recall in 2007.
To cover up the distribution, the defendants allegedly sent false documentation to the FDA. They're charged with violating various federal food safety laws.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
