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The maker of a popular brand of food for observant Muslims says it is facing a potentially crippling investigation into whether it falsely labeled meat products as processed in compliance with Islamic law.
The Midamar Corp. said in federal court documents that investigators seized its main bank account and business records under search warrants executed last month. A judge last week upheld the government's seizure of $454,000 in bank funds and rejected the company's request to return the money.
No criminal or civil charges have been filed, and U.S. District Judge Linda Reade ruled that the government's affidavit supporting its search warrant can remain secret so as not to "compromise an ongoing investigation." The U.S. attorney's office declined comment Monday on the investigation, which involves the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Internal Revenue Service.