Dan Bane, CEO

Trader Joe’s

800 S. Shamrock Avenue

Monrovia, CA 91061

626-599-3700

 

Dear Mr. Bane:

 

We are writing to bring to your attention serious consumer concerns regarding false and misleading dairy marketing and related practices found in retail outlets in the Minneapolis, Minnesota market. We are asking that you address these marketing issues specifically found in Trader Joe’s retail stores. In addition to harming consumers, dairy producers, and dairy processors, these concerns involve activities which potentially violate state and federal laws. We know that as a responsible member of the business community you will want to promptly address these issues. We are asking for your immediate attention and offering our support to address this serious concern.

 

The Center for Global Food Issues (CGFI) conducts research and analysis of agriculture and the environmental concerns surround food and fiber production. The Center uses its worldwide overview of food and farming to assess policies, improve farmers’ understanding of the new globalized farm economy, and heighten awareness of the environmental impacts of various farming systems and food policies. As such, CGFI has joined a coalition of science, agriculture and consumer organization in the filing of complains with state and federal regulators regarding false and misleading labels, marketing and related materials being used in the dairy industry. Copies of correspondence, complaints and related publicity can be found online at http://www.stoplabelinglies.com/.

 

We have extensive research into the labeling, advertising and other marketing practices of various dairy packagers’ products sold in your stores. The Center has recently completed in-store reviews of retail outlets in the Minneapolis, Minnesota market. We are also reviewing producer, cooperative and processor surveys conducted in Minnesota and surrounding areas which suggest that production demands linked to false or misleading marketing practices are growing. These demands are creating unfair economic and other burdens for dairy producers and processors who supply safe, affordable and high-quality dairy products to your customers.

 

Our in-store reviews, which included interviews with your dairy case managers, reveal a range of practices which may violate federal and state law, U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines and state regulations regarding the labeling, advertising and marketing of foods – in particular dairy products, and specifically fluid milk. Our review of pricing in stores such as yours suggests that consumers are paying 50 to 200 percent premiums for dairy products carrying these claims – sometimes paying these premiums for brands of milk produced at the same plant as less-expensive store brands available in the same dairy case. We must assume that consumers would only pay more for the exact same milk if they were misled to believe these products were somehow qualitatively or compositionally different when they are not. Extensive survey and focus group data supports this assumption and shows that consumers are being mislead about milk safety, nutrition and quality linked to false or misleading absence claims. Our particular concerns include:

We want to emphasize our belief in commercial free speech and in consumers\\\\\\\' rights to be fully informed about the products they purchase. The practices that concern us, however, mislead consumers, damage dairy-farm economics, distort markets and promote farming practices with potentially negative environmental consequences. We feel confident that responsible retailers, such as your company, would not want to be a party to any such irresponsible, unethical and illegal practices.

 

Our recent in-store reviews found over one dozen brands of fluid milk, yogurt, butter, ice cream and other dairy products with false or misleading labeling and marketing claims carried by grocery chains, including yours, in this market. In addition, our consumer interviews with dairy case managers from multiple stores representing eight major Minneapolis-area grocery chains including yours found 75 percent provided incorrect or non-responsive information to inquiries regarding distinctions between dairy products making antibiotic-, hormone- or pesticide-absence claims.

 

These absence claims being marketed in your stores, which consumer research shows to be misleading, are now influencing your dairy case managers who are providing false information to consumers about important health and nutrition issues. Thousands of consumers and dairy producers have signed a petition urging you to support truthful and non-misleading marketing to your customers. Copies of these petitions and accompanying signatures have been posted to the Web site http://www.stoplabelinglies.com/.

 

We specifically request:

Thank you for your consideration and timely response to our request. We intend to share our findings with Minnesota state regulators shortly and would welcome sharing any positive response from you regarding your plans to address this problem in our complaint.

 

Sincerely,