What is it? Recombinant bovine
somatotrophin (rBST, also known as BGH) is a synthetic, genetically engineered
version of natural cow growth hormone. It is designed to increase milk production.
Is it identical to the natural hormone? No. It is a protein that
seems to be functionally identical to its natural counterpart, yet it actually
differs in that a few of the amino acids in the chain are different.
Does it affect the health of cows? Yes. Seven years of studies done
by Monsanto, the company who developed BGH, showed an increase of mastitis,
an inflammation of the mammary glands, by almost 80%. In addition, cows
treated with BGH suffer suppressed immune systems and decreased fertility.
Does it affect the composition of milk? There have been no long-term
studies on the content of synthetically stimulated cow's milk. An 80% increase
in mastitis means that more antibiotics (used to treat mastitis) inevitably
find their way into the milk. A US Food and Drug Administration report states
that "BGH treatment produces an increase in the concentration of insulin-like
factor-1 (IGF-1) in cows' milk." IGF-1 is known to cause glucose intolerance
and hypertension, and a disease called acromegaly - an enlargement of the
hands, feet, nose and chin.
Is that all? No. Even if there were no health concerns associated
with the use of BGH, there are still very good reasons to oppose its use.
Chief among them is that BGH is a direct threat to the small dairy farmer.
The Congressional Office of Technology Assessment predicts that widespread
use of BGH could put 30% of all dairy farmers out of business. This would
occur because an increase in our nation's milk supply would suppress the
price of milk enough to make dairy farming unprofitable for most small dairy
farmers. Another effect of more milk would be a cost to taxpayers of nearly
$1 billion per year to buy up milk surpluses.
Is there rBST in my dairy products? It is highly unlikely because
the use of BST is not yet widely spread. At Sundance, our milk and yogurt
suppliers have made a commitment to not use milk produced with the use of
rBST. We are still soliciting a similar commitment from our cheese suppliers.
We will do everything we can to insure that all of our dairy products are
BGH-free. One of our dairy suppliers, Stonyfield Farms Yogurt, has gone
a step further. They have established a program to pay their dairies a cash
premium for providing them rBST-free milk.
What has been done at Sundance?
Our dairy producers have been contacted to
see whether they are requiring their milk suppliers to be BGH-free. So far
we have been assured that everything except for cheese is BGH-free. We are
working with our cheese distributors to find out more information on this.
We have discontinued Häagen-Dazs ice cream because they refused
to assure us that the milk they use is BGH-free.
We're working to find out more about the sources of milk in our packaged
goods. This is more difficult than finding out about fresh dairy in that
most packaged goods use powdered milk bought from a large collection system.
The Oregon Dairy Producers Association will not allow the use of BGH
on Oregon cows.
What can we do from here?
Contact the Pure Food Campaign (1130 17th St.
N.W., Suite 300, Wash. D.C. 20036 or 202-775-1132) for more info on boycotts
and educational material.
Contact your school board and local schools to pass a resolution refusing
to use dairy products from cows treated with BGH.
Contact local restaurants and supermarkets to see how they stand on
using or selling products from cows treated with BGH. Organize boycotts
or information distribution where possible.
Stay informed with the Provender
Alliance's BGH update online
Working together we can be assured of a more safe food supply for ourselves,
our children and those that produce our food, whether they be humans or
animals.
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