Amish Farmer Banned from Selling Raw Milk, Judge Rules
Is raw milk safe?
The federal government doesn't think so, which is why the Food and Drug Administration spent the last two years investigating Amish farmer Daniel Allgyer. Allgyer runs Rainbow Acres Farm in Lancaster, Pa. and sells unpasteurized, or raw, milk.
Though Pennsylvania permits intrastate sales of raw milk, federal law prohibits interstate sales. Allgyer delivers raw milk to customers in Maryland.
Or better put, he did. A federal judge has ordered Daniel Allgyer to stop selling raw milk across state lines, reports the Washington Times. If he doesn't comply, his farm will be shut down and he will be ordered to reimburse the FDA for the cost of his prosecution.
The FDA sent Allgyer a warning letter before taking him to court, explains the Lancaster New Era. But he ignored its requests to cease all interstate sales. Instead, he had customers "lease" cows so he could claim he was merely delivering their rightful property.
The judge called this "subterfuge."
The consumption of raw milk has been part of an ongoing debate about food autonomy. The FDA believes raw milk is not safe because it does not undergo sterilization. As a result, there have been a number of bacterial outbreaks connected to the product.
Fans believe raw milk has higher levels of vitamins and folic acids, and can help the body fight cancer. Pasteurization arguably deflates, or destroys, milk's health benefits.
A compromise between federal regulations and raw milk supporters doesn't yet seem probable. The two sides will likely have to figure out how to make raw milk safe before we see any regulatory changes.
Related Resources:
- Amish farmer shuts down under fed pressure (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Food Poisoning Prevention Basics (FindLaw)
- Man in Cow Suit Steals Milk, Caught by Cops at Burger Joint (FindLaw's Legally Weird)