Rutter’s Dairy, based in York, Pa., will be meeting at the Pennsylvania state capitol tomorrow morning to protest a recent letter from Pa. Agricultural Secretary Dennis Wolff. The letter informed the dairy that they would have to stop using labels on their milk that could mis-lead consumers.
Rutter’s Dairy, sister company of the Rutter’s Farm Stores convenience store chain, wants to keep being able to use a “No Artificial Growth Hormones” label on milk sold by Rutter’s.
Rutter’s spokesman Neal Goulet said company officials will hand-deliver letters to members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly while at the capitol.
Goulet said the visit is part of a broader Rutter’s campaign to “communicate” its artificial growth hormones labeling position by running full-page newspaper ads, handling out more than 100,000 information cards at Rutter’s stores and by posting content on their website.
Rutter’s Farm Stores has 51 stores throughout central Pennsylvania. Rutter’s Holdings Inc. is the parent company of Rutter’s Dairy and Rutter’s Farm Stores.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced on Oct. 24 that Rutter’s and 15 other dairy companies have until Jan. 1 to correct what the department said are “false or misleading” milk labels. The department said no scientific test exists that can determine the truth of a claim that a milk product doesn’t contain any synthetic hormones.
Rutter’s contends that the state had approved the “No Artificial Growth Hormones” label in August, only for the department to reverse itself with the ruling in October.