Send To Friend 
CaptionTweet This! http://mync.com/site/47678/
The owner of a Durham bread company is under arrest and facing criminal charges.
Warrants say Paul Seelig, the owner of Great Specialty Products in Durham, deceived his customers by selling them bread advertised as gluten-free when it wasn't.
Investigators started looking into the company as customers started getting sick.
Tara Muller of Cary told a judge Tuesday morning that she vomited after eating a bagel and a piece of bread.
About 25 people filed complaints about the company's products with the Department of Agriculture.
Paul Seelig advertises his products as gluten-free, targeting people who have allergies or who for other reasons cannot eat gluten.
But investigators say the advertising is a lie.
"At this point in time we have not seen any evidence of any bread he has ever produced that was gluten-free," said Joel Keith, Chief of Police of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The Department of Agriculture's investigators are still trying to figure out where Seelig's breads come from. He has not cooperated with them. That's partly why criminal charges were filed, Keith said.
Seelig faces six counts of obtaining property by false pretenses, which are misdemeanor charges. He could face more charges, Keith said.
Seelig defended himself in court Tuesday claiming that he has hundreds of other customers who have not gotten sick.
But a judge did not buy his argument. He did not completely shut down Seelig's business. But the judge ruled that Seelig cannot sell anything until he cooperates with investigators. Then he could sell products not promoted as gluten-free.
"The evidence clearly shows that what he was doing was an intentional act and he needed to be put out of business," Keith said.
When Seelig was taken into custody after the court hearing he collapsed and was taken to WakeMed for treatment.
Comments
By Sarah on 02/04 05:28 AM
Just a note to Leigh: I think you are correct in your passion but misguided. Celiac Disease is NOT an allergy (an immediate immune response to a food protein) OR an intolerance, such as lactose intolerance (a lack of the enzymes needed to break down milk sugar). It is an autoimmune disease. Therefore, there is no "allergy remedy" for it. There is nothing shown to stop the body from destroying the intestines when ingested. It is dangerous to suggest a cure or prevention when this simply is medically impossible at this point. Celiac is 90% genetic with 10% accounting for the "trigger", which could be a viral infection such as a cold or flu. I have Celiac AND an (anaphylaxis) wheat allergy (like a peanut allergy to wheat, this is VERY rare). One molecule of wheat can KILL me. There is no cure for this, nor Celiac. The problem is that some people who do not have a doctor diagnosed allergy or Celiac think they have "gluten intolerance", which if it exists, is NOT an allergy or autoimmune disease (Celiac) and should not be lumped in with either. In THAT case, it is either placebo effect, or something else at play if it goes away. There is enough misinformation about Celiac already. As for the criminal that sold false "gluten free" bread, the likely reason why some of his customers "never got sick" is because you can have Celiac and not have immediate exposure symptoms until you get cancer. Also with "gluten free" being the new "trend" all of those WITHOUT Celiac or a true wheat allergy would NOT have gotten sick. Some people even eat gluten free because they think it's "healthy". Hence why I say that many of those with "gluten intolerance" (not Celiac or a wheat allergy)are helped by the "placebo effect" and it is in their head. They probably didn't notice a difference. It is dangerous for people like me when our medically required diet becomes a fad for people to follow and a quick way for a criminal to make a quick buck. Terrifying, and he should go to jail for a long time. For those who may get cancer from consuming his products or ended up in the ER, he'll get what's coming to him by ending up as someone's "date" in the local jail.
By Hajo (www.customchoicecereal.com) on 02/03 12:55 PM
It is yet another example that people are literally willing to "poison" others if that can make some money in the process. While this incident left a lot of people suffering, it also might set a precedent for the enforcement of gluten-free labeling. The court ruling will therefore be very interesting! What really ticked me off though is the argument that "more people would have gotten sick" if the bread really contained gluten. That is such a wrong argument - just because no symptoms show one canNOT infer that no damage was done to the small intestine. At the same time this kind of ignorance is somewhat of a proof to me that Mr. Seelig was not in the business to help but in the business of making profit at all cost...
By Sue Hill on 02/03 11:18 AM
As one with Celiac I applaud the law enforcement for stopping this guy. Leigh's comments were right on target - gluten is poison to our systems. We have to trust labels to keep us safe. This guy is sleaze.
By eireann leigh on 02/03 01:47 AM
"When Seelig was taken into custody after the court hearing he collapsed and was taken to WakeMed for treatment." Hm, probably ate some of his own bread?.... This happens all the time; "Gluten-free" is all the rage. Just like "fat free" and "low sodium" and just like "organic". There are very varying degrees of states of these in food goods, but some of their replacement ingredients are worse than the removed element in the first place. There is presently plenty of misleading advertising. Yet still this is a different matter: It's one thing to be drawn to the "gluten-free" signs on the product aisles. (Because atleast there, you can read the ingredient list and most of the time, tell whether or not it is infact glutenfree.) Whereas with this guy, blatant lies won't last long before being sussed out. And with something so obvious as bread?!?!@#!?! C'mon man. People who must be gluten-free have to watch their selection intake. The memorable bread-purchasing could not possibly go unnoticed; those who are GF have had to readjust to a more or less traditional bread-less life to begin with. What's more, is this. For those who have taken their own health (back) into their own hands to the extent of being responsible food consumers, literally. . . And for those who have had the need to adhere on a strictly gluten-free diet to add, . . . I doubt that that low life could have known the health consequences and risks at stake. ...Ignorant on a number of fronts... Gluten is indeed really like a poison to people who can no longer metabolize and break down difficult proteins such as wheat, barley and other glutens etc,.. IT AFFECTS THEIR ENTIRE SYSTEM; AS A WHOLE. . . Whether anyone has even heard of brain fog or not, I strongly suggest someone look that up to learn more about how devastating this allergen is to anyone who's system cannot handle it. Let's be sure to utilize this unfortunate circumstance, for the sake of bringing light and support to gluten-intolerant awareness. . . what celiac actually means/ how it can happen to anyone/ how you can prevent it, and so forth. For anyone familiar with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) you all know to what extent ingested gluten can do. . . Not just to the body, but also to the mind. Its all connected. Some people suffer an entire week of horrible full body aches and pains without relief, from an accidental gluten intake (or other allergen.) And lastly, is this. I you read NAET: Dr. N's Natural Allergy Elimination Technique, & Go for the content, (not for whether or not you believe in acupuncture, which is what some of the book pertains to.) It illustrates fairly well how serious and ar reaching an allergy can be. ... Now, back to brain fog... Taking gluten into an gluten intolerant system: Its like being poisoned. Basically this guy, surely without knowing it, might as well be selling vodka as baby formula to customers. Yes, a pretty extreme simile, however this is the kind of damage he has created to his customers. urther damage to the small intestines, and to the immune system over all, if not worse. I believe this man has learned his lesson. Regardless of the legal outcome. Case in point, I probably won't be buying anything from any future store of *his* this lifetime. . . For the sake of all those GF individuals out there, I am thankful that this has been discovered~ I thank this story for coming to light. Let it illuminate great ways in further development of research & remedy and prevention of this issue, in all ways.
By Kim on 02/02 11:55 PM
He SHOULD be charged. People with celiac disease can become very ill, look at that poor baby at the top, with that rash! How horrible. If these people continued to eat it, not knowing it, it can lead to cancers. What a slimball, I hope he gets prision time and has to pay all the families effect some sort of restitution. He should also be banned from owning or operating any type of food related business. Or any business for that matt.. He's probably be a really good used care salesman.. he's sell you a car with no engine and tell you it was in mint contindion.
By Seashele on 02/02 11:24 PM
I have read about this business on several blogs over the past several months where people have tracked his gluten-full breads back to the bakery he really buys them from as well as a number of people who have done the home gluten testing and then stopped buying/eating. This infuriates me! Greed is pure evil when it adversely affects people's health.
By Zach Becker on 02/02 10:35 PM
Follow the case and read the Preliminary Injunction document here. http://glutenfreeraleigh.blogspot.com/search/label/Great Speciality Products
Post A Comment
Commenting is not available in this section entry.