PCRM 2005: The Year in Review |
Got Warning Labels?
Milk
doesn’t do a body good—especially if you’re lactose
intolerant. To help educate the public that milk can cause serious
digestive illness, PCRM filed a class action lawsuit in October
in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, calling for
all milk cartons sold in D.C. to carry labels warning of milk’s
possible side effects.
 PCRM filed
the lawsuit on behalf of all D.C. residents against major grocery
stores and dairy producers, including Safeway, Giant of Maryland,
Stonyfield Farm, and Dean Foods. On behalf of 10 plaintiffs, including
a 7-year-old boy and a PCRM member physician, PCRM lawyers argued
that many people are not aware they are lactose intolerant and
often undergo extensive medical testing for infections and metabolic
problems, all of which would be unnecessary if the dairy industry
would provide simple warnings about milk’s unexpected effects.
Lactose intolerance is a normal condition found in approximately
75 percent of the world’s population, including 60 to 80
percent of African Americans, 50 to 80 percent of Latinos, and
at least 90 percent of Asian Americans and Native Americans. People
with lactose intolerance are—like all mammals—unable
to digest the milk sugar lactose after weaning. Symptoms include
diarrhea and severe abdominal pain.
The lawsuit
captured the media’s attention, including that of The
Washington Post and the Associated Press, which helped educate
hundreds of thousands of Americans about this issue.
Media
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