Ohio Milk Rule Violates Consumers’ Right-to-Know

Contact:
Erin Greenfield or Sarah Alexander
202-683-2500

Ohio Milk Rule Violates Consumers’ Right-to-Know About
Artificial Hormones

Statement of Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch

“On Monday, Ohio passed a milk-labeling rule that could deny all Americans important information about how their milk was produced.  Governor Strickland, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s rule limiting hormone-free milk labels goes far beyond the Food and Drug Administration’s guidance. It is clear that this rule was crafted for industrial agribusiness and not consumers. It requires the prohibitive use of a misleading disclaimer, while banning accurate claims such as ‘rBGH-free’ and ‘artificial growth hormone-free.’

“In a nation where milk is sold across state lines and by national chains and distributers, labeling laws in just a few states will impact consumers nationwide. If other states follow Ohio’s lead, it will be challenging for national dairy companies who do not use artificial growth hormones to comply with differing state labeling rules. Already Kroger and Wal-Mart, while they’ve gone rBGH-free this year, have decided not to label their milk pending the outcome of the state-by-state battles.

“The effects of Ohio’s new rule will be felt throughout the country. Consumers everywhere will lose important information, as dairies struggle to comply with the worst milk-labeling rule in the nation.”

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