March 01, 2011
Milk Board Order Upheld in Circuit Court
An order of destruction for raw milk cheese produced by a Mountain View, Mo. processor was upheld in circuit court, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture today on behalf of the State Milk Board.
In the Howell County, Mo. Circuit Court, a permanent injunction was granted following the Jan. 11-12, 2011 hearing in the case involving Morningland of the Ozarks, LLC, the Missouri State Milk Board and the Missouri Department of Agriculture. As a result of that permanent injunction, products previously embargoed are to be destroyed.
Per the judgment, the business' documentation procedures must be improved, including maintaining records of cheese production, from preparation of each batch, through cutting, ripening and retail sale. For future production, the business must ensure that cheese is not made available for sale until fully ripened.
Missouri State Milk Board inspectors and personnel from the Food and Drug Administration inspected the facility and reviewed distribution records. A voluntary recall followed, including products distributed in the lower 48 states in retail packages dating Jan. 1, 2010 (code A10) through June 25, 2010 (code F250).