Mistrial in Beech-Nut Case: A federal judge...

Mistrial in Beech-Nut Case: A federal judge in New York declared a mistrial in the case of a former Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp. president accused of marketing bogus apple juice for babies. Judge Thomas Platt made the ruling after a jury notified him that it was deadlocked about whether Neils Hoyvald, 54, was guilty of mail fraud and conspiracy in the case. Beech-Nut, a subsidiary of Nestle S.A., pleaded guilty in November, 1987, and paid a $2.1-million fine for its role in the sale of purportedly pure apple juice for babies that actually was a concoction of water, sugar, artificial flavor and other chemicals.