What is rBGH?
Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH or rBST) is a genetically engineered hormone injected into cows to increase milk production. Monsanto Corporation manufactures the substance, sold under the trade name Posilac. Not only does the hormone not improve milk’s taste or nutrition, numerous studies reveal potential health risks to consumers and definitive negative health effects for the cow.

Why should we care?
The FDA approved rBGH in 1993, despite concerns voiced by many scientists and government leaders. Though legal in the United States, rBGH is banned in all 25 countries in the European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia and other nations. Opposition to rBGH is widespread because milk from rBGH-tainted cows contain increased levels of the hormone IGF-1. This hormone has been linked to increased rates of colon, breast and prostate cancer in humans. It’s not clear that drinking rBGH milk would increase a person’s rate of cancer, but why take the chance?

Additionally, cows treated with rBGH have a higher rate of mastitis, a painful infection of the udder that requires antibiotic treatment. An increased rate of medication causes the development of drug-resistant bacteria. Using rBGH leads to at least 16 other harmful effects in cows, including birth disorders, increased pus in milk, hoof problems and heat stress.

How do I know if my college’s milk is rBGH free?
Ask your supplier! Chances are if producers don’t say their milk is rBGH-free, it’s probably not. The problem for consumers is that there’s no way to tell. Producers are not required to label foods produced with this potentially harmful hormone. Approximately 22 percent of cows
are injected with rBGH, with higher rates in large farms. College dining halls can serve as an important leader in a push for farmers to produce rBGH-free milk.

Success Stories
There are many businesses, colleges, and hospitals that have chosen to go rBGH-free to meet consumer demand. Tillamook, one of the largest cheese producers in the country, only uses rBGH-free milk for its cheese. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream only purchases dairy from farmers
who have pledged not to use synthetic hormones. Large health-care systems such as Kaiser Permanente and small hospitals such as St. Luke’s in Duluth, MN have begun sourcing their milk from rBGH-free distributors. Three years ago, student interest helped fuel the switch to only buying rBGH-free milk at Williams College. As the demand for rBGH-free milk grows, consumers are finding a greater variety of choices. Join in to the growing movement away from industrialized agriculture and towards healthier milk.

What can I do to help?
Your college can switch to rBGH-free milk! With a rising interest in food quality in the United States, colleges have begun to vocalize their desire for local, fresh, and ethically
produced foods. From small liberal arts colleges to large public universities, the past decade has seen a large growth in Farm-to-College programs across the country. Milk produced without rBGH is typically about the same price or slightly more expensive than milk produced with the hormone. Organic milk, which by definition is rBGHfree, is often somewhat more expensive than non-organic. Frequently, colleges are able to find local farms, which
produce rBGH-free milk so that the change benefits the college, the students, and the community. A college switching to rBGH-free milk has nothing to lose and everything
to gain.

Go rBGH-free today!

For more information:
web: www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/dairy
or www.farmtocollege.org
email: foodandwater@fwwatch.org
phone: (202) 797-6550
A state-by-state guide to rBGH-free brands:
www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/dairy/rbghfree-guide


<< Endnotes >>
1 North, Rick, “rBGH-free Oregon Campaign Fact Sheet,” Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, http://www.oregonpsr.org/csf/rbgh_fact_sheet.doc
[Accessed March 20, 2006].

2 APHIS, “Bovine Somatotropin: Info Sheet,” USDA, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs/nahms/dairy/dairy02/Dairy02BST.pdf
[Accessed June 19, 2006].

3 “Health News,” St. Luke’s Hospital, http://www.slhduluth.com/health_news/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=236
[Accessed June 19,2006].

4 Robert Volpi, e-mail to author, June 21, 2006.

5 “About Farm to College,” Community Food Security Coalition, http://www.farmtocollege.org/about.htm
[Accessed June 20, 2006].