NATION'S LARGEST DAIRIES TRYING TO AVOID MONSANTO'S BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE

[lindisfarne]

The largest retailers and distributors of milk and dairy products in the U.S. are considering eliminating rBGH from their products. According to the trade journal Dairy Food and Market Analyst, Wal-Mart and Dean Foods have begun pressing suppliers for a larger supply of milk produced without rBGH, in response to increasing consumer demand. The synthetic hormone rBGH is a genetically engineered drug designed to make dairy cows produce more milk. The controversial hormone has been banned in Europe and Canada due to its links to increased risks for cancer and antibiotic resistance. Despite these bans, 18% of U.S. dairy cows, especially those on factory-style farms, continue to be injected with the drug. Over the past few years, millions of consumers have switched to milk and dairy products from organic farms, which ban the use of rBGH and antibiotics. Starbucks, by the way, is still serving up coffee drinks across the country that are laced with rBGH--another good reason to patronize local independently owned coffee shops that offer organic and Fair Trade alternatives.
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_747.cfm


SOME MAJOR U.S. DAIRIES ELIMINATING rBGH OVER THE PAST YEAR

April, 2005 - Tillamook's cheeses: The second largest producer of block cheese in the U.S. (but other product may still contain rBGH)
June, 2005 - Eberhard Dairy: Central Oregon's largest dairy processing plant.
Nov., 2005 - Alpenrose Dairy in Portland
Feb. 2006 - Darigold's yogurts: A large western U.S. dairy.
June 2006 - Garelick: A large East Coast dairy processor, producing 45 million lbs. of milk per month.
June 2006 - Meadow Gold and Darigold Farms: Montana's largest milk producers.

[msongs]

1. let's cut back the use of antibotics next - drugs for people not cows nt

[Kittycat]

2. Buy Organic - it's an expense you CAN afford.

Put a price on your life, what is more affordable? Higher priced dairy, or cancer or a disease that can't be cured due to antibiotic Resistance.

[flvegan]

3. Considering the lack of value

in this "food" one would be better off just eliminating it from his/her diet altogether.

Dairy is, without much of a doubt, the WORST crap you can put in your body, food-wise.

[lindisfarne]

4. I'm always amazed at how militant the anti-dairy folks are; fats and sugar

(refined) are things I'd avoid before using dairy. Although I'm not lactose intolerant. No problems with dairy for me.

[kestrel91316]

5. (sometimes I think they would deny others the right to consume dairy

if they thought they could get away with it - militant doesn't begin to describe some of them)

[mainegreen]

8. Maybe if your a lactose intolerant Japanese

but not if your cheese and dairy gulping dutch!

[hankthecrank]

6. Minnesota won't let you rBGH free on the label

It also very hard on the cows one thing they get is alot more mastitis.

So much so that they give the medicine away free with rBGH

[iconoclastNYC]

7. I now drink Organic milk

b/c i want the CLA missing in industrialize milk and i dont want the nasty hormones.