Farmer ordered to stop interstate sales of raw milk

A federal district judge here has found that a Lancaster County farmer violated federal law and ordered him to stop distributing unpasteurized, or raw, milk across state lines.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence F. Stengel made the ruling on February 3, the Justice Department announced today.

The government had filed a civil complaint last April against Daniel Allgyer, who runs a small Amish farm in Kinzers called Rainbow Acres Farm.

The complaint was filed after Food & Drug Administration (FDA) undercover agents conducted an investigation between 2009 and 2011.

The government alleged that Allgyer was packaging raw milk in unlabeled containers and then distributing it for sale across state lines, mainly in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

The milk was sold online for $6 per gallon.

The FDA had warned Allgyer that his conduct was illegal but said he attempted to evade federal regulations by creating a private membership organization that he used to enter into cow-sharing agreements with customers.

Allgyer, who was not immediately available for comment, said in court papers he was not the owner, or in control of the organization that drafted the cow-sharing agreements.

In finding for the government, Stengel found that the cow-sharing agreements were "merely a subterfuge" and ordered Allgyer and his associates to cease distributing unlabeled or unpasteurized milk for human consumption across state lines.

Pennsylvania permits the sale of unpasteurized milk, but it is illegal to transport it across state lines.

The FDA said unpasteurized milk can contain a variety of harmful bacteria, including Listeria, E.coli and Salmonella, among others.

But raw milk consumers claim the milk is safe and that pasteurization kills off good bacteria too.

Contact Michael Hinkelman at hinkelm@phillynews.com or on Twitter @MHinkelman