Ignorant or Informed? rbST in Your Milk

Last week, I read a blog that made me wonder what rbST-free milk is all about and whether it’s better than organic milk. Well, I started researching rbST and have learned so much that I haven’t even embarked on the organic portion of my question. They are related questions and I think you need to know one in order to know the other, so this week, let’s talk rbST.

WHAT rBst IS
rbST is a synthetic hormone used by dairy farmers to increase milk production in their cows. All cows have a naturally occurring bovine growth hormone, or BGH. At some point, science figured out how make a synthetic version of this hormone, rbST, or recombinant bovine somatotropin, and farmers began using it to increase milk production. The EPA and National Institute of Health say rbST is safe for you to drink; however, Canada, Japan and most Europe, disagree and banned it.

I want to clarify before I go on, rbST-free means that the synthetic hormone is no longer being used. The milk does still have BGH, or bovine growth hormone, because, remember, it is naturally occurring. So you’re going to have BGH in conventional or organic milk.

And one more point to clarify, apparently you can use rbST and rBGH interchangeably. Makes it kinda confusing!

rBST in COWS
To put this at a level I can understand, I thought about my own hormones. I have naturally occurring thyroid hormone, but not enough of it. So, I take a synthetic thyroid hormone in order to keep my thyroid functioning properly. A cow has BGH and some farmers are using rBST to increase their milk production. Now, if my thyroid was working properly and I took a synthetic thyroid hormone, my thyroid would be thrown into chaos and I would develop a thyroid problem. Can this analogy be applied to cows?

From all that I’ve read, there is no conclusive scientific evidence rBST causes medical problems for humans.   On the other hand, it’s actually undisputed that rBST causes medical problems for cows. rBST is directly related to the increased rates of mastitis, lameness and infertility. Some say it decreases their life span. So, back to my analogy: if I get too much thyroid hormone - chaos. If a cow gets too much BGH - chaos.

The reason farmers use rBST is to increase milk production. Well, is America short on milk? Nope, according to the New York Times we have too much,“But now, demand for dairy products is stalling amid a global economic slowdown and credit crisis, even as supplies have increased. The result is a glut of milk — and its assorted byproducts, like milk powder, butter and whey proteins — that has led to a precipitous drop in prices.”

Here in the Northwest, Fred Meyer and Safeway carry organic and rBGH-free milk only. There are still farmers who do use rBGH and so you will find it in other stores, but not very many. “A U.S. Department of Agriculture survey in 2007 determined that about 15% of dairy farms use rBST… As part of its Campaign for Safe Food, the Oregon chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility has compiled a growing list of companies that have gone partially or completely rBGH-free.” (reference link)

IGNORANT OR INFORMED?
Last week, my blog “Ignorant or Informed Consumer: your milk may not need to be rbST free,” highlighted Dr. Terry Etherton a Penn State professor who says that rbST is safe to consume. He says that we are ignorant consumers if we think that the rbST-free milk is better for us and that it's all a marketing ploy to get us to pay more money for milk.  I think he goes so far as to imply that we consumers are hurting the farmers by demanding no rbST in our milk.

Well, based on my research, I disagree. I am now an informed consumer who is in favor of rBST-free milk and milk products. We don’t need more milk in production, so we don’t need our cows to produce more. While it’s debatable if rBST is dangerous for your health, it’s not good for the cow's health. I don't think we're hurting farmers by demanding rbST-free milk. It's called supply and demand, Dr. Etherton...get over it. 

Since I live here in the Northwest, I won’t find it at my favorite grocery store. That leaves me with the next question: should I choose rBGH-free or should I choose organic milk?  Stay tuned...I'll share that in my next post.

Please, share your reaction to my research in the comments below.  Do you have different information to share with my readers about rbST? What books or articles have you read on this subject?  If you share it here, we can converse so, let's talk!