By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent

ST. PAUL, Minn. — While some dairies, such as Anderson-Erickson and Swiss Valley Farms, have stopped using recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) based on what they have said is consumer demand for hormone-free products, other milk industry representatives are claiming the American public is still being misinformed about rBST.

“First and foremost, all pasteurized milk is wholesome, safe and nutritious regardless of the label,” said Donna Moenning, vice president of industry relations at Midwest Dairy Assoc. (MDA), which also has offices in Ankeny, Iowa, and Overland Park, Kan.

“There is no such thing as ‘hormone free’ milk. All milk naturally contains very small amounts of hormones, and science shows that there is no significant difference in hormone levels between organic, rBST-free and regular milk.”

It’s estimated that about 30 percent of U.S. dairy farmers choose to use rest, accounting for 20-25 percent of cows, according to the MDA, which has based these claims on scientific studies stating there is no difference between milk from cows that are given rbST and milk from cows that are not.

“Regulatory agencies in 50 countries … have also affirmed the safety of milk and meat from cows supplemented with rBST, and that there is no difference in the milk,” MDA officials said in a recent statement about the numbers.

Manufactured by Monsanto Co., rBST, the company’s POSILAC growth hormone, is a synthetic form of the naturally occurring protein hormone already present in milk that some dairy farmers are using to increase milk production in their herds. Moenning said studies have shown milk from animals treated with rBST is “the same wholesome product that we have enjoyed for generations.

“The (FDA), among many other leading health organizations, has approved the safety of using rBST in dairy cows. Some milk processors and co-ops have responded to consumer requests for choices in the dairy aisle, and many now offer milk from cows not supplemented with rBST.”

Despite the FDA approving the use of rBST in dairy cattle 15 years ago, U.S. consumers have expressed concern about the drug’s safety, as have grocery chains, which are eager to bring back health-conscientious customers.

After reviewing labels reading “No Hormones” and “Hormone Free” on various dairy products, the FDA ruled in 1993 that these statements were false claims and declared them misleading under section 403(a) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Under the act, the FDA said food manufacturers who chose not to use rBST may voluntarily inform consumers of this fact on their product labels or labeling, provided that the statements are truthful and not misleading. But even when the FDA issued warning letters in 2003 to four U.S. manufacturers to remove labels from their products dubbed “hormone free,” this government-mandated moratorium instead prompted dairies to stop using rBST altogether.
“While no scientific evidence has shown that rBST is harmful to people, in response to customer requests we have chosen to use raw milk that is completely rBST-free,” said A.E. officials in a March, when it announced all products would be rBST-free – a decision, the dairy added was based on customer demand.

“It is very important to us to exceed customer expectations as part of our commitment to our ‘Ridiculously High Standards,’” stated the Des Moines-based company, which had posted signs in supermarket dairy sections stating its products were rBST-free.
Even Wal-Mart, Ben & Jerry’s and Starbucks – as well as Kroger and other major grocery chains – have followed suit by moving away from selling any dairy products containing the growth hormone.
Chris Hoeger, vice president of procurement at Swiss Valley Farms, said the Davenport, Iowa-based company doesn’t require their producers to make a choice regarding using rBST.

“We are letting the market drive our decisions,” he said. “We offer a rBGH-pledged product line in addition to our regular line of milk products.”

Kelli Boylen, director of the Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foun-dation at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) in Calmar, said there are many different ways to run successful farms, no matter which side of the issue dairies and consumers take.

“The students are taught about all the current technologies and practices that are available,” she said. “Our job is to show them what is out there, and the proper use. We use rBST at our free stall facility, and we do not at our Grazing Center. This helps students to learn about operating a farm with and without the use of rBST. It is up to the individual farmer what practices he or she chooses to use on their own farms.”