Which companies use rbgh

Roundup, one of the most popular herbicides on the market today, is packaged in a variety of forms to suit anyone from the farmer who works with hundreds of acres to the backyard gardening enthusiast. The patent on this product is set to expire before the turn of the century. As a result of expiring patents, Monsanto is looking to other products of biotechnology to provide its future revenue sources.

Products like Posilac are Monsanto's saviors. Its multi-million dollar investment in the development of rBGH is going to have to pay off if the company is to survive. The company is using threats of legal action to keep rBGH from being a commercial failure.

Farmers and Consumers Respond Meanwhile, farmers are struggling to reclaim agricultural production before it is entirely co-opted by the interests of companies like Monsanto.

One strategy used by the National Farmers Union is a boycott of Monsanto products. NFU is asking farmers not to purchase Monsanto products for this year's growing season. In addition, they are asking consumers to avoid using Roundup in their gardens and to end their use of products containing NutraSweet.

In addition to the boycott, farmers are also uniting with consumers around the issue of rBGH and food safety. Minnesota Safe Food Link is one such organization which seeks to educate consumers and farmers about the mutual concerns of food safety and fair family farm policies. Among the group's activities are:. This unification of farmers and consumers around the mutual interests of food safety and fair farm policies is integral to stopping corporate agriculture from controlling our food production system from the field to the table.

Works Consulted Juskevich, J. August Epstein, S. Hansen, M. Kronfeld, D. January 1, Bauman, D. Hard and B. Crooker, et al. May 18, Liebhardt, William, ed. The use of rBST in dairy cows has been shown to increase the concentrations of IGF-1, a protein naturally found in milk. Though research is mixed on the extent to which dairy consumption is linked to increased cancer risk, higher blood levels of IGF-1 have been linked to increased risk for pre-menopausal breast cancer.

What is rBST? In , the U. It is injected into dairy cows and has been shown to increase milk production by 10 to 15 percent. The synthetic hormone rBST is found in items that use milk in their formation, such as the dairy products cheese, ice cream, butter and yogurt. Milk derivatives are used in many other food products such as candy bars, chocolate, cakes and even some chips.

Research on the link between rBST and breast cancer has produced mixed results, and more study is needed to evaluate the potential association. IGF-1 has been shown to stimulate growth of human breast cancer cells. A recent review of the relevant epidemiological data revealed no associations between consumption of cow milk and breast cancer.

Several studies have found that IGF-1 levels at the high end of the normal range may influence the development of certain tumors. Some early studies found a relationship between blood levels of IGF-1 and the development of prostate , breast , colorectal , and other cancers, but later studies have failed to confirm these reports or have found weaker relationships.

While there may be a link between IGF-1 blood levels and cancer, the exact nature of this link remains unclear. But this same finding has also been reported in people who drink soy milk. This suggests that the increase in IGF-1 may not be specific to cow's milk, and may be caused by protein, minerals, or some other factors in milk unrelated to rBGH. There have been no direct comparisons of IGF-1 levels in people who drink ordinary cow's milk vs. At this time, it is not clear that drinking milk, produced with or without rBGH treatment, increases blood IGF-1 levels into a range that might be of concern regarding cancer risk or other health effects.

These were:. At least 8 other national and international review committees have evaluated the evidence concerning potential health effects of rBGH on humans and dairy cows. These reviews and the most recent year they convened are listed below. Several of these reports document adverse effects on cows, including higher rates of mastitis, foot problems, and injection site reactions.