Dairy farmers in Pennsylvania was ship to Swiss Premium Dairy or Rutter’s Dairy will soon be required to provide milk without supplemental rbST.
Farmers say that Rutter’s and Swiss Premium have cited pressure from retailers as their reason for going rbST-free. Farmers also say they don’t expect to receive a premium for rbST-free milk. Officials at the two dairies were not eager to talk about the situation this week.
“Rutter’s is taking steps to ensure that we’re providing to consumers the products they want in order to keep ourselves in business,” said Todd Rutter, president of Rutter’s Dairy Division. He declined to give more details on the dairy’s plans.
Michael Eiceman, general manager at Swiss Premium, Lebanon, did not return phone calls from Lancaster Farming before press deadlines this week.
Those defending use of the hormone include Dr. Terry Etherton, head of Penn State’s Dairy Science Department and Dennis Wolff, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture.
“I find this trend alarming,” Wolff said this week of dairies requiring rbST-free milk. “Advertising (milk as rbST-free) confuses consumers and puts milk’s image at risk.”
Wolff said the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is looking into the state’s milk marketing law and food code to see if any statutes could apply to the situation.
“They’re asking them to give up a management tool,” Wolff said. “I haven’t heard anyone talk about giving farmers a premium.” He recommended that farmers contact FDA, the federal agency that gives oversight to food labeling.