In lieu of common sense

Consumers have a right to know how their food is produced and processed, obviously. It's not at all obvious, though, if you're a 1) a farmer who is concerned more about profits than public health, or 2) a government employee protecting welfare of farmers but not necessarily consumers.

The issue arises - again - because Ohio Agriculture deciders are in the process of deciding whether citizens should know whether they are drinking synthetic growth hormones in the milk they buy. It was reported by the Columbus Dispatch 11/17/07.

Farmers who don't use these hormones want to advertise that fact on milk labels. That they can't do this without the approval of Ohio bureaucracy demonstrates not only how far government has intruded into the "free marketplace" but the depths to which lobbyists (in this case the farmers who are using these hormones to stimulate milk production) are affecting - and likely endangering - public health.

The Ag Department has, according to the Dispatch article, "formed an advisory committee of 20 people, including dairy farmers, farm organizations, Ohio State professors and consumers, to help formulate a policy. The department also will hold a second public forum on the issue next month."

In lieu of common sense, that's one way to deal with it.