Dairy court

Consumer lawsuits try to ensure that organic milk is really organic

By Caroline Cummins

December 18, 2007

Back in October, we ran a Sift describing the organic-labeling troubles in the dairy industry. At the time, the Organic Consumers Association and the Cornucopia Institute were encouraging shoppers to boycott Aurora Organic Dairy, asserting that the dairy’s certified-organic products didn’t really meet the USDA’s organic standards.

Since then, tactics have shifted. Aurora, based in Boulder, Colorado, has been slapped with class-action lawsuits. And the grocery chains that sell Aurora’s products — including Wal-Mart, Costco, Safeway, Wild Oats, and Target — are being sued for consumer fraud.

Results so far? Wild Oats and Florida’s Publix supermarket chain are no longer selling Aurora milk.

Still, it’s worrisome that a major dairy simply felt free to ignore the USDA’s organic standards — and that the USDA let the dairy get away with it.