Envirovore's been following the contentious milk labeling rules in several states, where the Monsanto Company is taking a backdoor approach to eliminating rBGH-free claims on dairy products.

We told you that the Ohio Department of Agriculture released a rule that banned hormone-free language, like the common "rBGH-free." (The rule does, however, allow production claims, such as "from cows now supplemented with rBGH.")

Well, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) isn't pleased, and it filed suit in Ohio against the new rule. The International Dairy Foods Association did the same. OTA filed a motion for summary judgment last Friday, so the Ohio Department of Agriculture has until August 15 to file an opposition.

Similar attempts to eliminate hormone-free labels failed in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, and Vermont. But now Kansas is apparently revisiting the idea and Utah has a rule on the table that is similar to Ohio's.

In light of a declining market for its synthetic hormone, Posilac, also known as rBGH or rBST, Monsanto is doing everything to keep it on the market. But here's what it's up against:

• The drug is banned in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan
• Wal-Mart committed to rBGH-free store brand dairy products (as have hundreds of other brands)
• The American Nurses Association wants to see it eliminated
• The Federal Trade Commission dismissed Monsanto's request to ban rBGH-free milk labels

It seems, then, that rBGH is at the edge of a precipitous cliff. With the masses pushing hard against it, I think its fate is pretty clear.

Source: Fromartz Chews Wise

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Evil Empire part 2
written by Robert Wood, August 05, 2008

This is insane folks. In the United States of America we can not even be allowed to know what does or does not go into our food. They have kept GMO labeling off of products and now they do not want people to have the choice, in a free market society, to choose what type of milk we drink. I want a government willing to freaking stop Monsanto!

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment