Spiked wheat. (Schuler Grain Co. uses additive to artificially boost the protein content of its wheat)

Spiked Wheat

A tip from a disgruntled former employee of a large Minnesota grain company led to court-ordered heavy fines and probation for the owners last February.

Schuler Grain Co. in Breckenridge, Minn., was using an additive to artificially boost the protein content of its wheat and thereby increases the price it brought on the market. Ultimately, the Schulers' profit came out of the consumer's pocket--for higher-priced baked goods at the grocery store.

In August 1985, the tipster told the U.S. Department of Agriculture about the firm's illegal…