First Hearing in Milk Warning Label Lawsuit

Judge Henry H. Kennedy of the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments January 31 on a high-profile lawsuit filed by 10 Washingto D.C. area residents who want labels on milk cartons warning that milk can cause serious digestive illness. The plaintiffs argue that many people are not aware they are lactose intolerant and unwittingly buy milk, only to suffer side effects after drinking it.

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the milk sugar lactose, a normal process that occurs after the age of weaning. For those who are lactose intolerant, drinking milk can result in abdominal pain, diarrhea, and other painful gastrointestinal symptoms. 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—is lactose intolerant.

Steve - we'll be keeping a close eye on this one...stay-tuned!