The state of Pennsylvania sues farmer Amos Miller to stop the illegal distribution of raw milk and other products, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry and the state’s Department of Agriculture. The complaint is against Miller’s Organic farm, its owners, and related businesses.
Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture searched the farm after two people were sickened with E. coli infections after allegedly consuming eggnog made with raw milk from that facility. The lawsuit was filed after “years of attempts by state and federal officials to bring the farm into compliance with the law,” according to the Attorney General.
The complaint outlines violations of Pennsylvania’s Milk Sanitation Law, Food Safety Act, Retail Food Facility Safety Act, and Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law. The suit alleges that Miller failed to obtain licenses and permits, sold illegal raw milk products, and sold raw milk and raw milk products outside of Pennsylvania, which is prohibited by federal law.
In addition to the two recent illnesses, samples of raw milk and raw milk products collected by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture earlier this month tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous pathogen that poses serious heath risks.
The Attorney General said in a statement, ““For years, this business has brushed off efforts to bring its commercial farm operation into compliance with the law — as all commercial farms are required to do. We cannot ignore the illnesses and further potential harm posed by distribution of these unregulated products. We have long had food safety laws in this Commonwealth to protect the public from harm. Pennsylvanians should know what is in the products they and their families are consuming.”
In 2019, a federal court ordered Miller’s Organic Farm to comply with Pennsylvania licensing requirements and all applicable food codes. There were multiple findings of contempt before Miller agreed to a consent decree in August 2023, which is in effect today, in which he affirmed “independent responsibility for complying with relevant provisions of the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
