Victory of the Week Court Will Hear Consumers’ Claims of Organic Milk Fraud
Dairy consumers, including Organic Consumers Association members, who sued several national chains (Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, and Wil Oats Markets) as well as the largest U.S. provider of store-brand organic milk (Aurora Organic Dairy) claiming they falsely labeled and sold milk from industrial feedlots as "organic" can continue with their lawsuit under a federal appeals court ruling issued Wednesday.
The ruling from the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means a lower court must hear claims that Aurora Organic Dairy’s milk was deceptively marketed as coming from small farms with open pastures.
"Each defendant is alleged to have misrepresented the manner in which the dairy cows were raised and fed in violation of various state deceptive trade practices laws," the ruling said.