04/01/08 Organic Milk Misrepresentation

As I have stated before, it's not easy being green, especially if it's a thin veneer of green! The Aurora Dairy Corporation and some of the large chain retailers across the nation that they supply with "organic" milk product are finding that out the hard way. The hard way being under the loud bang of a courtroom gavel. Lawsuits have been filed against Costco, Safeway, Target and Wal-Mart claiming consumer fraud for marketing suspect organic milk. The lawsuits are widespread, representing plaintiffs in over 30 states from Seattle to New York. The USDA has found Aurora at fault for 14 violations of National Organic Program regulations. This is going to be a legal battle to keep our eyes on. Should businesses that claim organic products be held responsible in meeting set standards and regulations, most definitely. But I'm afraid our already clogged and bogged down judicial system is in for the ride of its life. Perhaps it took the USDA this long to decide how to proceed with enforcement action against Aurora for this very reason. In righting this blatant wrong, we may very well have to open Pandora's Box.