Pennslvania Lawyer Basic Michelle Henry, with the state Division of Agriculture, has now sued Amos and Rebecca Miller and their numerous farms and associated companies within the Lancaster County Courtroom of Frequent Pleas to close him down with a everlasting state injunction. 

Two current E. coli sicknesses reported by different states’ well being departments are suspected to have originated from Miller’s Natural Farm uncooked milk or uncooked milk merchandise. 

Moreover, samples of uncooked milk and uncooked milk merchandise collected by the Pennsylvania Division of Agriculture not too long ago examined optimistic for Listeria. These micro organism pose severe well being dangers, particularly to younger kids, older folks, and other people with weakened immune programs.

The AG filed the 357-page criticism with displays on Jan. 23 after years of makes an attempt by state and federal officers to convey the Miller into compliance with primary meals security legislation. The submitting outlines violations of Pennsylvania’s Milk Sanitation Legislation, Meals Security Act, Retail Meals Facility Security Act, Unfair Commerce Practices, and Client Safety Legislation. 

The alleged violations embrace failing to acquire licenses and permits, promoting unlawful uncooked milk merchandise, and promoting uncooked and uncooked milk merchandise exterior of Pennsylvania. The 2 current E. coli sicknesses reported by departments of well being in New York and Michigan are suspected to have originated from Miller’s Natural Farm uncooked milk or uncooked milk merchandise.

“For years, this enterprise has dismissed efforts to convey its industrial farm operation into compliance with the legislation — as all industrial farms are required to do,” Lawyer Basic Henry stated. “We can not ignore the sicknesses and potential hurt posed by distributing these unregulated merchandise. We have now lengthy had meals security legal guidelines on this Commonwealth to guard the general public from hurt. Pennsylvanians ought to know what’s within the merchandise they and their households are consuming.”

Efforts to convey the farm into compliance date again a number of years. In 2019, in a case involving violations of federal meat and poultry dealing with legal guidelines, a federal courtroom ordered Miller’s Natural Farm to adjust to Pennsylvania licensing necessities and all relevant meals codes. After a number of findings of contempt for failure to comply with that order, Miller and his legal professional agreed to a consent decree in August 2023, which stays in impact right now, by which he affirmed his “impartial accountability for complying with related provisions of the legal guidelines of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

The prolonged criticism additionally names  Miller’s Natural Farm, its homeowners, and all associated companies as further defendants.

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