Why is organic milk allowed to make false marketing claims?
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Question by Paul O: Why is organic milk allowed to make false marketing claims?
I’ve read reports http://www.stoplabelinglies.com and http://www.milkismilk.com that claims of “pesticide-free” “no hormones added” and “antibiotic-free” are false and prohibited by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Yet, I see these claims on all the organic dairy products sold in my stores. Why are the claims allowed if they are false or misleading to consumers?
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2 Responses to Why is organic milk allowed to make false marketing claims?
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The claims are not false. The controversy is about the USDA’s
requirement that when stated on the label such notations must be accompanied by a statement that there is no evidence that the products are any more healthful or nutritious than milk from cows treated with hormones.
Hank
November 13, 2011 at 10:46 am
These claims are not allowed and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration enforces them, as noted here: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW00943.html.
Unfortunately, these regulations appear to go unheaded (and sadly largely unenforced) by a growing number of marketing interests in the organic and natural products industry. As this sector trys to grow (organic milk is now nearly $ 1 billion per year in sales) to meet shareholder expectations for growth and profits the pressures to convince more and more new customers increases. This appears to coincide with a willingness to stretch or break consumer protection laws which unfairly and falsely disparage less expensive conventional competitor dairy products.
All research (and marketing guidelines from USDA and FDA) clearly show that organic production methods do not alter the milk in any way. http://www.dairyreporter.com/news/ng.asp?n=64090-no-extra-profit and NBC News recently studied organic vs. conventional milk and found them to be no different. http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=18cf1bd8-4c53-4cee-b6de-c625b114d0ce&f=00&fg=email
JB2006
November 13, 2011 at 11:19 am