Did you know?

Did you know that you don’t have the right to consume any food you want simply because you are an American citizen. Apparently the Constitution offers no such protection and the FDA wants you to know.

This revelation has been out there for a few months and there are already several articles covering this topic. I’m posting some references here for those who may have missed it elsewhere.

At the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund site:

The FTCLDF lawsuit claims that the federal regulations (21 CFR 1240.61 and 21 CFR 131.110) banning raw milk for human consumption in interstate commerce are unconstitutional and outside of FDA’s statutory authority as applied to FTCLDF’s members and the named individual plaintiffs in the suit.  In its answer to the complaint, FDA made its position on the issue of ‘freedom of food choice’ a part of the public record.

  • “Plaintiffs’ assertion of a new ‘fundamental right’ under substantive due process to produce, obtain, and consume unpasteurized milk lacks any support in law.” [p.17]
  • “There is no absolute right to consume or feed children any particular food.” [p. 25]
  • “There is no ‘deeply rooted’ historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds.” [p. 26]
  • “Plaintiffs’ assertion of a ‘fundamental right to their own bodily and physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to consume for themselves and their families’ is similarly unavailing because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish.” [p. 26]

Here’s the actual FDA response to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund complaint (PDF), containing the disambiguation of our non-rights.

At the Complete Patient site

I’d like to personally thank the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for articulating its food-rights policy.

At least it’s all out in the open. Now it’s up to consumers to let the regulators and politicians know how they feel about this joint government-industry enforcement campaign to deprive citizens of health-giving foods of their choice.

And this article at Mercola.com, FDA Says You Have No Right to Real Food Unless They Give You Permission First

If you go by these assertions, it means the FDA has the authority to prohibit any food of their choosing and make it a crime for you to seek it out. If, one day, the FDA deems tomatoes, broccoli or cashews capable of causing you harm (which is just as ludicrous as their assertions that raw milk is harmful), they could therefore enact such a ban and legally enforce it.

What this means is that freedom of food choice is a myth if you live in the United States, and this simply is not acceptable.

Well, now you know. Eat accordingly or you just might be a Food Renegade!

2 thoughts on “Did you know?”

  1. I had no idea! Not that I come into contact with raw milk very often. I know we have the same issue with some of the delicious raw milk cheeses that the farmers can GIVE away but are not allowed to sell!
    (I’m starting to feel like a criminal when I buy margarine once a year to make a special holiday cookie, too 🙂

Comments are closed.