Baker found guilty in gluten-free bread case

RALEIGH -- The Durham baker accused of misrepresenting bread as gluten-free and sickening more than a dozen customers was found guilty of obtaining property by false pretenses today in Wake County Superior Court.

Paul Seelig, owner of Great Speciality Products, was arrested in February 2010. His company sold bread and bagels from booths at the N.C. State Fair, the fairgrounds flea market, various street festivals and by home delivery.

Many of his customers suffered from celiac disease, a condition that prevents them from being able to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Several of Seelig's customers testified they developed rashes and diarrhea. One woman testified that she gave birth to a premature baby, which can be a complication for those with celiac disease who consume gluten.

During the trial, prosecutors painted Seelig as a liar. Witnesses testified that Seelig told customers that his gluten-free breads and bagels were homemade when he actually bought the bread from a New Jersey bakery that does not sell gluten-free products and that he got bagels at Sam's Club and Costco.

On Friday, Seelig acknowledged in court that he had lied about his identity to investigators, hyped a business run from his house as a commercial operation with a bakery the size of a shopping center, and sold baked goods bought from out-of-state companies as "homemade."

But Seelig testified that he did not knowingly sell bread with gluten in it as "gluten-free."