That's right, if you buy milk in Pennsylvania you're included. No Court of Justice, nor court of public opinion was needed to arrive at this sweeping change in consumer information.
The landmark decision was accomplished, under standards enforcement for truth in labeling of dairy products, within the State of Pennsylvania, Department of Agriculture. That's a mouthful!
A ceremonial signing, the hand of Governor Rendell laid upon it and this act will ring in the New Year, as the law.
No one reported this with more enthusiasm than Alex Avery, Director of Center for Global Food Issues (CGFI). Alex has been battling over the milk labels for years and years and years. In fact he and his father, Dennis Avery, founder of the Hudson Institute have been battling along with a collection of organizational names right out of the Bobsie Twins..
They have allies at Milk is Milk and Stop Labeling Lies, Consumer Alert. There's a stable of regular contributors, Greg Conko and Henry Miller, Steve Milloy the Junk Science Judo, FOX groomed reporter. Milloy who worked as a Lobbyist for Phillip Morris before joining the team concerned by the purity of foods and adding another now defunct front group, The Advancement of Sound Science Coallition.
Anyway Alex runs the media operations and his article captures the CGFI vantage point perfectly.
Taking it one victory at a time ~ by Alex Avery ~ October 31, 2007
Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture struck a blow for truth in labeling and consumers last week by banning misleading hormone-, antibiotic-, and pesticide-free claims on milk and other dairy products. Starting next year, only meaningful claims supported by laboratory testing will be allowed on PA milk and dairy food labels. Bottom line: no more hormone-free, pesticide-free, or antibiotic-free claims.
This will alleviate stress on Pennsylvania moms and Pennsylvania family budget’s because, as readers of this blog know, milk is milk. No matter what the label claims, no milk has antibiotics, pesticides, or extra hormones. Lets hope other states get their act together and announce similar consumer-oriented enforcement actions.
They don't want us to fret our per-ty little heads over milk. Aww, can you feel the love? Not everyone, just buyers of milk in the Keystone State. What do they get? Let's quote Avery again, " Bottom line: no more hormone-free, pesticide-free, or antibiotic-free claims."
Instead , what will consumers be getting Alex? "Starting next year, only meaningful claims supported by laboratory testing will be allowed on PA milk and dairy food labels."
To me, that's one of the few meaningful crumbs of information in the whole labeling circus. It answers the question, does the farmer give the cows Monsanto's hormone treatments or not. If there were not a media black out in America, a total refusal by media to challenging Monsanto's protected status of their hand in the foods, there would be no issue.
Like the consumers in free markets worldwide, Americans would ban it. Yes it is legal in Mexico, Pakistan and Brazil, more allies with a great history of consumer protections, great crowd to make you feel secure with what we're swallowing.
But we live with information overload on the food packages and most of it isn't worth much.
Right in the dairy aisle we have things like "Biffadus Redicularis" with nonsense jingles to turn any trace of ingredient into the full blown health benefits known for the entire species.
How is it the bacterial function Dannon is offering to boost my colon health, or even telling me to have particular concern for my colon's bacterial ratios, understandable, but knowing if the cow is getting a hormone shot is beyond understanding?
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