Monsanto hits dairy ads on hormones

Monsanto Corp. yesterday asked two federal regulatory agencies to investigate what it alleges are false and misleading advertising claims made by many dairies, including some of the biggest in New England. Many dairies, such as H.P. Hood LLC in Chelsea and Garelick Farms in Franklin, now say their milk comes from cows not treated with the artificial growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST, which is manufactured by St. Louis-based Monsanto. Hood and Garelick made the shift last year to better compete against organic milk producers , which have seen their sales rise sharply. Monsanto, in letters to the US Federal Trade Commission and the US Food and Drug Administration, said the advertising of some dairies falsely suggests that there are health and safety risks associated with milk from cows treated with the artificial growth hormones.

The FDA approved the use of the synthetic hormone in 1993. Some consumers fear the synthetic hormones cause cancer or premature development in children. Some countries have banned the use of such hormones, but primarily because of its effect on cows. The synthetic hormone boosts a typical cow's milk production by about 10 pounds per day. Officials at Hood and at Dean Foods Co. in Dallas, which owns Garelick, said they agree there is no difference . The officials said their dairies are using milk from cows not treated with the artificial growth hormone because their customers want it. "When a consumer asks for it, we provide it as a service," said Marguerite Copel, a Dean Foods spokeswoman, noting that only 17 of Dean's 100 dairies rely on milk from cows not treated with the synthetic hormone. "This is a small niche product."

Courtesy of The Boston Globe

Bonnie - why should Monsanto worry about a few dairy labels that want to boast that they are rBST-free? Because they are scared. They know that the public is wary of hormones and want an alternative other than organic. Is non-rBST milk and rBST milk equal? Read the following from Nutrition for Optimal Health Organization (NOHA) and you can judge for yourself.