Investigators Open Criminal Case Over Omsk Milk Bath Incident

April 4, 2014

One of the photographs of the incident at the cheese factory.

Investigators have opened a criminal case against staff at a string-cheese factory in Omsk after evidence of gross hygiene violations was uncovered.

Torgovy Dom Syra, or Trading House of Cheese, first came under suspicion when photos of staff members cavorting in a tub full of milk at the factory appeared on social media website VK.

Inspections showed that the factory's production practices did not meet basic health and safety requirements, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said Friday in a statement.

The Federal Consumer Protection Service on Thursday banned the sale of the company's products and investigators have asked people to report any cases of food poisoning caused by its products.

The factory, which has also been temporarily closed, has churned out more than 49 tons of cheese so far this year and its products were stocked in stores in 14 Russia cities, Markin said.

The suspects face a maximum of two years in jail if convicted on charges of manufacturing products that don't meet the required sanitary standard.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue