Bovine somatotropin (bST) is a hormone that occurs naturally in all cows, and its physiological function is to help direct milk production. Through biotechnology, scientists have created a synthesized copy of bST – known as rbST or Bovine Growth Hormone -- which some dairy farmers choose to use as a milk production management tool on some cows.
Since rbST was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration in the early 1990s, its safety has been affirmed and reaffirmed by the scientific community. Scientists tell us that bST is species-specific, meaning that it is biologically inactive in humans. Also, pasteurization destroys 90 percent of bST in milk.
Numerous scientific studies have shown there is no significant difference between milk from rbST-supplemented and non-rbST-supplemented cows. That’s why the FDA has established that dairy products from cows treated with rbST do not need to be labeled.
To download the Milk and Hormones Fact Sheet PDF click here |