Pennslvania Attorney General Michelle Henry, with the state Department of Agriculture, has now sued Amos and Rebecca Miller and their various farms and related businesses in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas to shut him down with a permanent state injunction.
Two recent E. coli illnesses reported by other states’ health departments are suspected to have originated from Miller’s Organic Farm raw milk or raw milk products.
Additionally, samples of raw milk and raw milk products collected by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recently tested positive for Listeria. These bacteria pose serious health risks, especially to young children, older people, and people with weakened immune systems.
The AG filed the 357-page complaint with exhibits on Jan. 23 after years of attempts by state and federal officials to bring the Miller into compliance with basic food safety law. The filing outlines violations of Pennsylvania’s Milk Sanitation Law, Food Safety Act, Retail Food Facility Safety Act, Unfair Trade Practices, and Consumer Protection Law.
The alleged violations include failing to obtain licenses and permits, selling illegal raw milk products, and selling raw and raw milk products outside of Pennsylvania. The two recent E. coli illnesses reported by departments of health in New York and Michigan are suspected to have originated from Miller’s Organic Farm raw milk or raw milk products.
“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,” Attorney General Henry said. “We cannot ignore the illnesses and potential harm posed by distributing 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.”
Efforts to bring the farm into compliance date back several years. In 2019, in a case involving violations of federal meat and poultry handling laws, a federal court ordered Miller’s Organic Farm to comply with Pennsylvania licensing requirements and all applicable food codes. After multiple findings of contempt for failure to follow that order, Miller and his attorney agreed to a consent decree in August 2023, which remains in effect today, in which he affirmed his “independent responsibility for complying with relevant provisions of the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
The lengthy complaint also names Miller’s Organic Farm, its owners, and all related businesses as additional defendants.
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