Raw Milk Update: The FDA’s Response

Dear Madame:

Thank you for writing to the FDA to express your views concerning the agency’s recent enforcement action against Rainbow Acres Farm in Kinzers, Pennsylvania. 

In taking this action, FDA was fulfilling its mandate under federal law passed by Congress which prohibits the sale of unpasteurized milk in U.S. commerce.  This decades-old prohibition is based on many well-documented cases of disease transmitted to consumers by unpasteurized milk.     

Following an inspection of Rainbow Acres Farm last year investigators determined the farm was producing, packaging, selling, and distributing unpasteurized and unlabeled milk for human consumption in interstate commerce. On April 20, 2010, FDA issued a Warning Letter to the firm informing it of the violations and stating that regulatory action might be taken. The firm continued to operate in violation of federal law. 

In this case, the firm chose to continue to distribute unpasteurized milk for human consumption in interstate commerce even after it was informed that it was violating federal law.   The agency then determined that the enforcement action was necessary to protect the public health. Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with the FDA.

2010 > Rainbow Acres Farm 4/20/10

Public Affairs Specialist #10
Communications & Coordination Staff
Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
Food and Drug Administration

Bolding is mine.

1. Please direct me to the many well-documented cases of disease transmitted to consumers by unpasteurized milk. Because I went to the CDC’s website, and in the past three years, there have been outbreaks (which suggest a systemic problem or widespread distribution) of foodborne illness in some of the most commonly consumed food in the US, and no one is banning Cheesy Chicken Rice frozen entree (which should be banned for a number of reasons but I believe in food choice), pre-packaged cookie dough, or turkey burgers.

This response is 204 words of absolute nothingness. Yes, I know why you went after him, that’s the very principle against which I am taking issue! Sheesh.

This isn’t an argument I’m likely to win. This is not the first time I have been upset by the government, nor will it be the last. I wrote President Clinton a letter in 7th grade requesting an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” (He wrote me back, only slightly more interesting than the email above). I wrote a college letter to the editor about gay marriage. The important thing isn’t the response, but the communication. We have to keep standing up for what we believe in and want, as citizens.

Off my soapbox. Again.