4 sickened: apple cider producer faces charges in Michigan year later

A northern Michigan farm owner faces criminal charges after at least four people who drank apple cider got sick.

James Ruster of Mitchell Hill Farm in Antrim County is charged with knowingly making adulterated, or unsanitary, food. Inspectors said his cider equipment was unsanitary and had powell_kids_ge_sweet_corn_cider_00-300x227dried food on it.

His customers got sick a year ago, including three who tested positive for E. coli. Ruster couldn’t be reached for comment Sunday. Someone who answered the phone at the farm hung up during a call from The Associated Press.

A table of fresh juice-related outbreaks is available at http://bites.ksu.edu/fresh-juice-outbreaks.