Raw Milk Activists Sue FDA for Ignoring Legalization Request

By JG Vibes
theintelhub.com
December 17, 2012

For years the FDA has been attacking small farmers and organic food distributors while letting major GMO business like Monsanto off the hook completely.  Just recently Organic Pastures, the nation’s largest raw-milk dairy, is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ignoring its request to change the 1987 law banning the sale of raw milk across state lines.

According to Food Safety News:

“Organic Pastures, the nation’s largest raw milk dairy, has launched a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for allegedly turning its back on the dairy’s request for the agency to change its current law banning sales of raw milk across state lines……

The Fresno-based dairy submitted its request to the agency back in December 2008. According to statute, the FDA is supposed to respond to this sort of request — referred to by the agency as a “citizen petition” — in 180 days.

McAfee told Food Safety News that the agency did send him a notice 90 days after he sent the request (citizen petition) in 2008, but it was just to let him know that it had received it.  And that was it, said McAfee.  But after some recent prodding on his behalf by Gary Cox, general counsel for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, the FDA said they were “working on it,” but that it wasn’t a priority.   McAfee said that was about six months ago and that nothing has happened since.”

The article also discusses a press release that the FDA put out in November of last year, claiming that they would not prosecute people buying and selling raw milk.  However, when looking at the stories of people like Alvin Schlangen and the other raw milk farmers who have been shut down and raided by the FDA it becomes obvious that this is a lie.

Over the past two years, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has illegally raidedAlvin’s van, warehouse, and farm resulting in the multiple charges that were decided upon in court last week.  Technically, Alvin was guilty of breaking the laws in question, even though the laws are totally ridiculous and unjust.  Luckily this jury was informed about the process of jury nullification, and their legal right to rule in favor of the accused for breaking unjust laws.

A similar lawsuit filed by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund was dismissed just recently, so there is still no telling how this one will pan out.

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