U.S. Court, FDA: Raw Milk Like Toxic Waste

Last Friday, a U.S.  court and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has essentially ruled that organic raw milk shipped across state lines for use as animal food must be treated like a toxic waste; otherwise organic, sustainable dairymen will face a $250,000 fine and up to 5 years imprisonment for noncompliance. The case, U.S. v. Organic Pastures, was brought by evidence that showed an undercover FDA agent had received a one-gallon shipment of raw milk for pet food in Nevada, of all places, from California.

On a similar note, back in the early 90’s,  EPA and DOT wanted to define milk as a “hazardous material” under rules pertaining to oil spills. This was because the definition of oils included petroleum-based oils as well as fats and oils from vegetable and animal origin. The dairy industry needed to spend untold sums to Washington lobbyists to prevent the hazardous designation. This relieved truck transporters of milk and vegetable oil from putting “hazardous material” signs on their trucks and to have special papers onboard. All of this so that environmental spill responders would know that the spill material was milk containing 1-5 percent fat. The rationale was that, in the event a milk truck overturned on or near a bridge, these procedures might reduce the potential effect on fish and other aquatic life. I won’t get into here how Coca-cola and other soft drinks would have been classed also as a “hazardous material” because of its acid content (pH), but something tells me that EPA and DOT won’t do it with America’s other drinking problem.

But naturally occurring unpasteurized milk has created more of a crisis for the chimps at FDA and other “protect and serve” agencies, in all of their infinite wisdom. Might it be due to the fact that, since ancient times, it has been a wholesome and nutritional drink for babies, as well as animals and humans?

For his timely article on the present situation, investigative journalist David Gumpert in his story at The Complete Patient received documents from the case directly from the defendant Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy Company (OPCD). The documents, according to Dave, reveal the laughable conditions upon which OPCD can ship raw milk to be used as animal food:

• OPDC can “only ship raw milk and raw milk products to end use animal facilities,” including zoos, research labs, and veterinary practices;
• “The veterinary health professional or animal caretaker must have a legitimate provider/client-patient relationship with the animal to which the product is to be fed.”
• Prior to shipping any milk, OPDC must provide to the FDA’s San Francisco office assorted information about the recipient, including the “identity of each animal to which the raw milk or milk products will be fed and a declaration that the consignee has a legitimate provider/client-patient relationship with the animal to which the product is to be fed.”
• Milk recipients must “keep records of all use and disposition of raw milk and raw milk products received from OPDC.”
• Recipients must “destroy or return to OPDC any unused product…(and) provide OPDC with documented accounting of all quantities destroyed within 15 days of destruction…”

With up to five years imprisonment and up to $250,000 fine for noncompliance, I think it is safe to say the Mark McAffee is out of business of the interstate shipment of quality pet food.

Something else is leaving a sour taste in my mouth, because Augie does not recall if FDA pursued the U.S. food manufacturer’s of baby formula and countless other food items using Chinese milk solids intentionally laced with melamine, a toxic compound– even though they have set up quality control offices in China. Have you?

Now I am convinced that Albert Einstein was correct when he stated, “There are only two things that are infinite; the universe and the stupidity of man, and I am not certain of the former.”

Of course, The Journal is now open for your comments on this important new development.