FDA not pulling Chinese milk products because China has U.S. by the financial balls — suggests attorney Bill Marler

Are we all Chinese now that China holds America's trillion dollar debt? Photo of dairy aisle in Chinese supermarket from China News.

Here are some telling excerpts from a recent post on the Haphazard Gourment blog. The Mr. Marler quoted below is a lawyer who specializes in food poisoning litigation.

“….So what is the massive disconnect with FDA’s position on China? Mr. Marler’s response is haunting:

“Why did the FDA not recall any Chinese product suspected with melamine? One reason, China owns one trillion dollars of our debt. China is our banker and you do not mess with your banker. Think about how quickly the FDA threw the spinach and tomato industries under the bus when contamination was suspected.”….”

Earlier in the same post they say:

ODA “swats” Manna Storehouse Co-op

Sheep from Manna Storehouse (pic from Manna Storehouse website)

NEW DEC. 17: Manna Storehouse 7: The Stowers tell their story.

Apparently undaunted by past legal rebukes, the Ohio Department of Agriculture recently raided a food coop in La Grange that was providing grass-fed beef, lamb, pastured poultry and other Weston-Price-style foods. Raw milk was not specifically mentioned, so we don’t know whether that might have been a factor. But the extent and style of the regulator action in this case bears a definite resemblance to what happened at Michael Schmidt’s Glencolton Farms back on Nov. 21, 2006. The Bovine learned about this incident from a comment on the Complete Patient blog by Don Neeper. Here’s part of what Don said:

Pastured chicken, Nature's Acres, Berlin Ohio, (one of Manna Storehouse's suppliers)

“Manna Storehouse, a food co-op in La Grange, providing grass fed beef, lamb, pastured poultry and other Weston A. Price foods was raided yesterday [Monday, Dec. 1st] by SWAT, ODA officials, and local authorities.

Michael Schmidt responds to the contempt fine + costs of $55,000

Raw milk farmer Michael Schmidt talks to reporters shortly after receiving Justice Boswell's guilty verdict in the contempt case. While that verdict was delivered on October 20th, 2008 it was not until December 2 that he received notice of sentence.

The following is the text of a letter sent yesterday by Michael Schmidt to cow-share members, friends and supporters:

Dear Cow Share Owners
Dear Friends
Dear Government Officials in charge of protecting our Rights and Freedoms

There is progress on every level.

Today I received the decision from Justice Boswell in regards to the Contempt of Court Trial.

A total of $55 000 have to be paid according to the documents released today–$5000 as fine and $50 000 as York Region’s costs.

The ruling is very interesting since it raises issues that I was not allowed to address in court.

This Ruling includes the following paragraph: “The contemptuous breach of the order accordingly involves an issue of public health and safety and this too is an aggravating factor.

The ruling also says: