Oregon Department of Justice

Attorney General Hardy Myers today announced that four Oregon dairies will implement improved quality control standards to ensure that milk containers are not filled with less milk than the amount indicated on the labels. Entering into Assurances of Voluntary Compliance, which admit no law violations, are Valley of the Rogue Dairy of Grants Pass; Curly's Dairy, Inc. of Salem; Lochmead Farms, Inc. of Junction City; and Mallories Dairy of Silverton.

The Department of Justice opened an investigation of the diaries after a study by the Department of Agriculture's Measurement Standards Division determined that the dairies underfilled milk containers. The average shortages varied by dairy and by size of container, but in most instances were measured in fractions of an ounce.

"Because it is very difficult for consumers to know whether the amount of liquid in a container matches the amount indicated on the label, the Department takes these cases very seriously," Attorney General Myers said. "However, because we did not believe that the shortages were willful, the primary goal of the agreements was to require the dairies to improve their quality control standards and eliminate the problems."

Under the terms of the assurances, filed today in both Marion and Josephine County Circuit Courts, the dairies will conduct self-testing on a daily basis in accordance with standards adopted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The dairies also will pay for two years of follow-up testing on a random basis by the Measurement Standards Division. Moreover, the dairies will make small financial contributions to fund future consumer protection and education activities by the Department of Justice and will pay for testing already carried out by the Measurement Standards Division.

Consumers who need additional information about the cases should contact the Attorney General's Consumer Hotline at (503) 378-4320 or (503) 229-5576 (Portland only), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon.