According to a Wisconson law enacted in the 1970s, the state only allows Grade A milk products to be distributed within its borders, reports Milwaukee Magazine. But Kerrygold, the number-one imported butter brand in the U.S., isn’t issued a letter grade like American-made dairy products.
Wisconsin has since banned the sale of the gold-and-silver foiled butter but Kerrygold is legal in all other states.
«Under Wisconsin legislation, retail butter for sale in Wisconsin must bear either a Wisconsin or federal grade mark,” explained Kerrygold’s parent company, Ornua North America, in a statement issued to the Irish Farmers Journal.
“This effectively excludes Kerrygold butter being sold in Wisconsin because Kerrygold butter is graded, produced and packaged in Ireland.”
Lisa Miller, the marketing director at Ornua, adds that while Kerrygold’s inspection process is a “little bit different from the process here, the standards are universally very high.»
Still, Wisconsin dairy distributors who violate the law could face fines of $1000 or more– and up to six months in jail.
The state’s ban has already outraged some of Kerrygold’s biggest fans. Jean Smith, who lives in Waukesha and drinks butter-infused tea every morning, told Milwaukee’s WTMJ news that she “want[s] to please ask whoever it is that’s preventing me from getting butter in our stores here to stop it.”
Smith has also admitted to making regular trips to Nebraska to stock up on her preferred brand.
“I’m hauling Kerrygold back in my suitcase and my coolers,» she told WTMJ.
But Kerrygold’s enthusiasts may not want to follow in her footsteps just yet, because Ornua has already announced the company’s intentions to work out a way to bring Kerrygold back to the state.
«We are currently working with the Wisconsin authorities on a solution which will enable consumers throughout the state enjoy the great taste of Kerrygold butter,» Ornua’s statement said.
The brand has yet to announce a timeframe for when its products may be available in Wisconsin.
A representative for Kerrygold was not immediately available for comment.
Source: FoxNews
Link: http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2017/02/23/wisconsin-s-irish-butter-ban-spurs-statewide-dairy-debacle.html