The Criminalization of Raw Milk

3. PROMOTION

Raw milk is sold primarily through word of mouth.

Corporate milk is promoted through large, expensive ad campaigns.

The California Milk Processor Board is now targeting teens:

"Goodby, Silverstein and Partners created a page on MySpace to promote White Gold and the Calcium Twins, a team of new fictitious characters turned rock stars who spread their love of and devotion to milk through music. TV spots, print ads and PR will also support the promotion.

"The Milk Processor Education Program ... is funded by the nation's milk processors ... committed to increasing fluid milk consumption." http://www.thinkaboutyourdrink.com.

4. LABELING

Raw milk is just milk. Those who buy it know that and seek it out for that reason.

On the corporate side, Monsanto continues pushing bans on labeling rBGH-milk. Customers usually do not know they are consuming rBGH milk.

During its approval process,

"FDA scientist, Dr Richard Burroughs concluded ... Monsanto was manipulating the [test] figures. In 1989 he was sacked after complaining to Congress ... To deal with the ... controversy Monsanto assembled ...PR companies ... of which [BURSON-MARSTELLER] was one."

During the Clinton administration, Monsanto employees were appointed to run the FDA. Monsanto's rBGH - the first genetically engineered product ever, was approved.

"[In]1994, people at the FDA [wrote] an anonymous letter to ... Congress, [fearing] retribution ... The basis of our concern is that Dr. Margaret Miller ... wrote the FDA's opinion on why milk from [rbGH]-treated cows should not be labeled. However, before coming to the FDA, Dr. Margaret Miller was working for the Monsanto company as a researcher on [rbGH].”

In 1996, there was a press conference on rBGH's medical risks. "Given the potential health impacts of consumption of milk and other dairy products derived from rBGH treated cows, all such products at a minimum be labeled so that consumers are aware of what they are purchasing and consuming. More prudently the FDA approval of rBGH should be withdrawn until the agency performs adequate long term testing ..."

"... Wisconsin, Minnesota, California and Vermont attempted to enforce labelling of milk produced with, and containing, this hormone. Their efforts were thwarted by Burson-Marsteller acting on behalf of these companies."

Burson-Marsteller has been a long-term (now campaign) advisor to Hillary Clinton, through its CEO, Mark Penn. And Monsanto's effort to ban labeling of the milk continues today.

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