Dairy cows in factory farms.

Dairy farmers in the USA inject cows to increase their milk production with the genetically engineered growth hormone bovine somatotropin (rBST, also called BGH). rBST increases milk production by up to 15% at the cost of chronic health problems for the cows (foot problems, mastitis and injection site swelling). It has been banned in Canada and Europe but is still used in the USA in 2004.

The agrochemical company Monsanto produces rBST under the brand name POSILAC® and promotes it on its web site:

"POSILAC® bovine somatotropin has become one of the leading dairy animal health products in the United States and many other countries. Supplementing dairy cows with bovine somatotropin safely enhances milk production and serves as an important tool to help dairy producers improve the efficiency of their operations.

Bovine somatotropin, or bST, is a natural protein produced in the pituitary glands of all cattle and it helps adult cows produce milk. Milk from cows receiving supplemental bST is unchanged and just as wholesome and nutritious as always - full of calcium, protein, phosphorus and vitamins. In fact, the level of bST in milk remains the same.

Because POSILAC benefits large and small herds alike, it can play a critical role in helping farmers with limited resources here and around the world. The use of supplemental bST allows dairy farmers to produce more milk with fewer cows, thereby providing dairy farmers with additional economic security as well as providing related environmental benefits. "

The Oakhurst Dairy of Maine, USA, introduced a label "Our Farmers Pledge: No artificial growth hormones" on its milk products. In 2003 Monsanto took the dairy to court, claiming that the label misled "consumers into thinking milk from non-rBST-treated cows is healthier."

References

Bess, A. (2004) Got Posilac? AG Biotech InfoNet consumer choice http://www.biotech-info.net/got_posilac.html (accessed 4 October 2004)

Greens in the European Parliament (1999) EU Scientific Experts Point to Human Health Risks from rBST . Press release 16 April 1999. http://www.gene.ch/info4action/1999/Apr/msg00049.html (accessed 4 October 2004)

Monsanto (2004) POSILAC. http://www.monsantodairy.com/ (accessed 4 October 2004)

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