Scandals regarding steroids are becoming commonplace in today's society. Athletes struggling to attain pinnacle performance take growth hormones in order to obtain the body of a superior competitor. Yet competition on the farmlands has also fallen victim to the pressure of producing gains not achieved by normal body forms.
Since 1994, dairy cattle have been injected with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), which is used to increase milk production in cattle. The hormone boosts lactating to about 10 pounds per day in dairy cattle.
The European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia and many other countries have banned the use of the hormone in the production of dairy products due to the adverse side effects on the animals, such as lameness. The milk produced by these bovines had been found to have increases in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in milk. The effects of IGF-1 on the human body are highly unresolved, but speculation about the growth of breast, prostate and colon cancers caused by this insulin.
rBGH in the United States was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in November of 1993 and the product is sold under the name Posilac by the Monsanto Company. The Monsanto Company is known for their marketing of the herbicide Roundup and a leader in the production of genetically engineered seed for various crops.
UW-Madison milk quality professor Pamela L. Ruegg worked with the Monsanto Company from 1984 to 1998 - specifically with this product.
It looked like a very exciting time to learn a lot about managing high performance dairy herds,"" Ruegg said.
While working with the company, she researched how rBGH significantly increases milk yields. Side effects are explained on the FDA label for the hormone, yet she explained that with any drug warning of side effects, they occur very rarely.
""The thing that people must remember is it has been around for a long time,"" Ruegg said.
The hormone is only given to a subset of cows, and it is a tool that has been available for many years. She pointed out there has not been an impact on the consumption of milk due to the introduction of rBGH. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, milk sales in the United States over the past 20 years have changed little.
She also said some companies have marketing demand for labels of rBGH on products using the hormone. Ben and Jerry's is one such company. The company's website states it believes rBGH is ""a step in the wrong direction toward a synthetic, chemically-intensive, factory-produced food supply."" The company also labels each ice cream carton with a pledge not to treat cows with rBGH.
Such labels have come under fire by the Monsanto Company, which views the labels as belittling to its legal hormone and giving it the perception that the company's product is unsafe. The FDA does not require labels since naturally occurring hormones are found in milk of normal healthy cows. With the modern practices of milk production, there is no way to produce hormone-free milk. Despite no major difference in the milks, the organic milk has become one of the most popular products in the organic market in recent years.
According to USDA Economic Research Service, the number of certified organic milk cows tripled between 1992 and 1994, and more than doubled between 1994 and 1997.
This shift away from Mosanto's product has led the company to pressure states to ban the labeling of milk from rBGH-free cows. In 2007, Pennsylvania adopted a regulation that would ban such labeling but was opposed by several consumer groups, so the state reversed its stance. Labeling disputes have spread to other states, such as Utah and Ohio with many more foreseen as future areas of conflict.
Ohio became a recent battle area for labels. Cincinnati-based food retailer Kroger wants to use labels to tell consumers that its dairy products are from non-hormone altered cows. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Feb. 7 the Kroger Company had to change its plans for millions of milk labels after Gov. Ted Strickland declared an ""emergency order"" to stop the retailer. The International Dairy Food Association Executive Jerry Slominski was quoted as saying, ""Let's be clear about one thing: The reason why processors are marketing products with absence claims is simply because consumers are demanding it.""
The originally proposed label contains two parts: One notes the product is milk from rBGH-free cows and another explains the FDA finds the hormone safe.
Slominski described the disclaimer as ""putting more material to make Monsanto's case on the label."" The Ohio Department of Agriculture permitted the order and has asked Ohio's Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review to support its decision.
As a dairy state, Wisconsin has not taken any major part in the conflict over this hormone. Babcock Dairy gets its milk from a wide range of producers. So far, no labels have appeared, but with increases in consumer demands, absence labels could make their way to multiple dairy products.
