As producers, and readers of this blog, what do you think of all the media attention about companies going “BST” free? Do you think this is a good or bad move for the dairy industry?
Starbucks Coffee Co. said Tuesday that it has stopped using dairy products with Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, or rBGH, in company-owned stores in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, Northern California and New England. The dairy products involved include milk, half and half, whipping cream and eggnog. 37 percent of dairy products the company buys for its U.S.-owned stores are rBGH-free. That’s up from 27 percent a month ago.
The move, while hailed by one consumer rights group, likely will cause Starbucks to increase its coffee prices because rBGH is widely used in dairy farms, said Blair Thompson, a spokesman for the Washington Dairy Products Commission. Thompson said pressure to use rBGH-free milk is coming from retailers who want to charge more for the product and a small group of activists. He also said there is no scientific evidence to show the use of rBGH affects milk for humans. “Growth hormones only work on their own kind. A lot of people don’t understand that,” Thompson said.
3 Comments on “Starbucks Joins Debate”
Regarding Thompson’s last comment that hormones only work on their own kind…it’s not the recombinant bovine growth hormone itself that is linked to concerns in humans; it’s the fact that cows treated with this hormone have significantly higher levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in their milk. IGF-1 is a peptide hormone that regulates cellular proliferation and inhibits apoptosis (programmed cell death) in humans. Epidemiologic studies have reported increased blood levels of IGF-1 as directly related to different forms of cancer. There is enough of a concern related to human health that Canada and Europe have banned its use. In my opinion, even a concern about potential health risks is enough reason to forgo the extra dollar of profit. Plus, let the cows live without suffering! Is it wrong to respect the intrinsic value of other living creatures? More detailed information about the health concerns may be found here: http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/documents/consumer2_001.pdf
Regarding Thompson’s last comment that hormones only work on their own kind…it’s not the recombinant bovine growth hormone itself that is linked to concerns in humans; it’s the fact that cows treated with this hormone have significantly higher levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in their milk. IGF-1 is a peptide hormone that regulates cellular proliferation and inhibits apoptosis (programmed cell death) in humans. Epidemiologic studies have reported increased blood levels of IGF-1 as directly related to different forms of cancer. There is enough of a concern related to human health that Canada and Europe have banned its use. In my opinion, even a concern about potential health risks is enough reason to forgo the extra dollar of profit. Plus, let the cows live without suffering! Is it wrong to respect the intrinsic value of other living creatures? More detailed information about the health concerns may be found here: http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/documents/consumer2_001.pdf
Regarding Thompson’s last comment that hormones only work on their own kind…it’s not the recombinant bovine growth hormone itself that is linked to concerns in humans; it’s the fact that cows treated with this hormone have significantly higher levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in their milk. IGF-1 is a peptide hormone that regulates cellular proliferation and inhibits apoptosis (programmed cell death) in humans. Epidemiologic studies have reported increased blood levels of IGF-1 as directly related to different forms of cancer. There is enough of a concern related to human health that Canada and Europe have banned its use. In my opinion, even a concern about potential health risks is enough reason to forgo the extra dollar of profit. Plus, let the cows live without suffering! Is it wrong to respect the intrinsic value of other living creatures? More detailed information about the health concerns may be found here: http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/documents/consumer2_001.pdf