Organic milk companies that aren't following the standards

A recent report on organic dairy practices published by the watchdog group Cornucopia Institute showed that while many organic dairies in the U.S. are following strict organic standards, including giving animals regular access to pasture, several major players in the organic dairy sector are blatantly violating organic standards.

Two of the largest organic dairy companies in the nation, Horizon Organic (a subsidiary of Dean Foods), a supplier to Wal-Mart and many health food stores; and Aurora Organic, a supplier of private brand name organic milk to Costco, Safeway, Giant, Wild Oats and others, who together control 65% of the market, are purchasing the majority of their milk from feedlot dairies where the cows have little or no access to pasture. In addition, a routine practice on these giant dairy feedlots, many with thousands of cows, is to continuously import calves from conventional farms, where animals have been weaned on blood, fed slaughterhouse waste and genetically engineered grains, and injected or dosed with antibiotics. Certifiers endorsing these factory farm organic products include QAI and the Colorado state department of agriculture.

Get more information and sign a petition to the National Organic Standards Board to stop factory farm organics here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/nosb2.htm

I also urge you to only purchase dairy products from companies that follow the organic standards - for your health and for humane treatment of the cows. Here's theOrganic Dairy Report: http://cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html