“Gluten Free” Update: Baker Behind Bars
Paul Seelig, the owner of Great Specialty Products, has been sentenced to 9-11 years in prison for falsely representing to his customers that his bread was gluten free. According to testimony from one of his former employees, Mr. Seelig also told customers that his products were “homemade,” even though he apparently just repackaged baked goods he bought at various stores.
The takeaway message (other than the obvious: follow the law) is that customers rely on a company’s representations, so it is important for those representations to be correct, documented, and verifiable. Even if Seelig had truthfully represented that he tested his products weekly, he failed to produce any records confirming this at trial. “Get it in writing” is as true now as it ever was; do you think your customers expect (and pay for) any less?
