News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Barbara Haumann 413-774-7511, Ext. 20

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (April 1, 2008) - If Missouri's proposed legislation passes, affecting labeling on dairy products sold in Missouri, farmers who are choosing to convert to organic production will be discouraged from doing so as will other dairies seeking to satisfy consumer demand, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA), the business association that represents more than 1,650 members of the organic industry throughout North America.

In a letter to the Hon. Brian Munzlinger, Chair of the Special Committee on Agri-Business (which held a public hearing on the proposed legislation today) and a sponsor of the bill, OTA Executive Director Caren Wilcox stated, "In its current form, the proposed law would deny consumers their right to receive, and processors' right to provide, information about the non-use of synthetic growth hormones. It also interferes with interstate commerce by creating new labeling requirements that are more stringent than the 1994 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance - guidance that was reinforced in 2007 when proponents of state laws like the one proposed in Missouri approached FDA and the Federal trade Commission (FTC) and were rebuffed. Furthermore, requiring farmers and their processor dairies to comply with labeling laws on a state-by-state basis could reduce choices in Missouri, and might encourage consumers to favor non-dairy beverages."