Follow Up: Monsanto Moo'ing Up a Storm in Milk Label Dispute

I recently wrote about the use of the cow growth hormone rGBH -- and how the Monsanto Company is using the hormone to increase milk production at its dairies (check the AC archive).There has been quite a backlash against Monsanto for this practice. Many nutritionists and dairy farmers say the only "good milk" is hormone-free milk. With a follow up to my original article, in recent news Monsanto is challenging a growing trend among dairies to label their milk "hormone free," saying those claims mislead consumers into believing that the cow growth hormone Monsanto makes is unsafe.

According to a 17 April article posted on www.truthabouttrade.org the St. Louis-based Monsanto Company is moving aggressively against a group of dairies to halt the use of the "hormone free" label on milk cartons sold nation-wide. It said that such labels suggest that there is something unhealthy about its synthetic hormone drug.

In a complaint filed recently with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Monsanto protests that milk labels touting the fact that cows did not receive the hormone have unfairly damaged its business, as well as that of dairy farmers who use the drug on their cows. "...False and deceptive advertising regarding milk and (rBST) has misled consumers for years..." Monsanto states in its complaint to the FTC. "...These practices are clear violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act and result in higher milk price for consumers and less choice for dairy farmers..."

Monsanto also complained to the FDA (www.fda.gov) saying it has found no difference in the milk produced by cows that received rGBH and those that did not. The hormone increases milk production by about 10 percent.

Monsanto's action reflects a shift in the food industry in recent years, as consumers demand more natural and organic foods and seek labeling that explains just what went into their production. Cartons of eggs, for example, increasingly boast that the chickens that produced them were "cage-free." Beef is marketed as "grass-fed." Dairies began tagging milk as "hormone free" soon after Monsanto won FDA approval for its growth hormone in 1993.

Monsanto contends that its hormone does not affect the cows' health or their milk's taste. An FDA review of the drug during its approval process found no difference between milk from cows that did or did not receive the growth hormone.

While Monsanto won't release sales figures for its hormone, company spokesman Andrew Burchett said that "about a third of the dairy cows in the U.S. are in herds where farmers choose to use rGBH (which Monsanto has patented with the name "Posilac")

An FDA spokeswoman said the agency would have no immediate response to Monsanto's most recent complaint, which was submitted April 3.

But in a statement, the Food and Drug Administration said: "...This drug was only approved after FDA established that it is effective and safe. Effectiveness means that Posilac does what the company claims (increases milk production). Safety covers three main areas: safety of the food products to humans, safety to the target animal (the cow) and safety to the environment...."