Groceries Sued for Selling Suspect Organic Milk

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Consumers have launched a full-on assault against grocery stores that sold milk, perhaps unwittingly, that was labeled "organic" even though the farm producing it had failed to meet the Department of Agriculture's standards for producing organic milk, according to the Rocky Mountain News.

Safeway, Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, and Wild Oats are among the grocers that are being sued eight states for alleged fraud, negligence and "unjust enrichment." The consumers want a refund on the milk, and punitive damages.

The root of the lawsuit is not with the retailers, however, but with Aurora Organic Dairy, which almost had its organic certification stripped by the USDA because the farm failed to meet standards. The USDA certification was never revoked, however; Aurora was made to change practices on its farm to meet certification standards.

The real motive behind the lawsuit, some have claimed, is centered on the long-running tug-of-war among organic consumers over whether the USDA standards are stringent enough, and enforced well enough. Many originators of the organic movement see small, local production as a key facet of a sustainable farm, so large dairies, even if they refuse the use of hormones, genetically modified feed and pesticides, don't meet their own high standards.

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