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Milk is Milk Blog Unfair Dairy Pricing Trends Reasons you should buy regular goods Why not raw milk? Are we reaching the tipping point on organics? Report of rbST Ban in Foreign Nations is False A CGFI consumer project...                > more Milk and Dairy News Home / News  Yet another peer-reviewed study attesting safety of a GM crop - RR Alfalfa feed. Author : David Tribe - (GMO Pundit blog) January 25, 2008   GMO Pundit's list of 150+ peer reviewed papers relating to GM food and feed safety continues to grow. This 159th paper just added to the list was this one: Alfalfa Containing the Glyphosate-Tolerant Trait Has No Effect on Feed Intake, Milk Composition, or Milk Production of Dairy Cattle > more New Year's Goals For The Ag Community Focused On A Strong, Prosperous 2008 Author : Dan Murphy - (Cattle Network) January 07, 2008   As 2008 begins a critical year for all of agriculture, AgNetwork.com reviews the goals and priorities from a select group of advocacy groups and trade associations. Some of those are entirely predictable – such as lobbying for the most favorable version of the farm bill. Others center on policy, marketing of even educational goals. > more Taking it one victory at a time Author : Alex Avery - () October 31, 2007   Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture struck a blow for truth in labeling and consumers last week. > more ACSH Agrees rbST-Free Milk Marketing Misleading Author : Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D. - (ACSH) August 29, 2007   Marketers who use the "our cows aren't given rBST" approach are thus legally correct but scientifically wrongheaded. There's nothing unhealthful or dangerous (to humans or cows) from using rBST. > more Letter: Growth hormone scare is overblown Author : The Augusta Chronicle - (Mark Tribby) August 12, 2007   I read with disappointment the announcement in The Augusta Chronicle recently by the Kroger Co. that they would no longer sell milk from cows that have been treated with rBST (a.k.a. recombinant bovine somatotropin, or growth hormone sold under the brand name Posilac). The reason stated was that customers of the grocery chain have preferred purchasing milk "free of hormones and antibiotics." > more Marketers are putting the 'BS' into rBST Author : Damon Cline - (The Augusta Chronicle) August 12, 2007   Dairy farmers who purchase the hormone see their milk production increase by about 15 percent. The milk is not different; there is just more of it…So why all the fuss? > more Organic Farming: Can Organic Really Feed the World? Activism Disguised As Science Author : Alex A. Avery and Dennis T. Avery - (Environmental Views) August 09, 2007   CHURCHVILLE, VA—A new study published in an alternative agriculture journal has gained widespread attention by claiming that organic farming not only could adequately feed the world, it might even yield more food and require less farmland. It is a truly sensational claim. > more Food Costs Increase and the Smoke and Mirrors of rbST-Free Milk Marketing Rolls On Author : Terry Etherton - (Terry Etherton Blog on Biotechnology) July 29, 2007   The most recent Marketbasket Survey has begun to track the prices of conventional milk, rbST-free milk, and organic milk. No surprises here - rbST-free and organic cost a whole lot more! More of the old “smoke and mirrors” marketing campaign of charging a whole lot more money for nothing. > more Organic Food Fantasies Never Die Author : Alex A. Avery and Denis T. Avery - (CGFI) July 27, 2007   The media is once again pronouncing organic food superior based on science fad and the findings of a single study taken well beyond what the evidence shows. > more He Only Saved A Billion People Author : Jonathan Alter - (Newsweek) July 24, 2007   Only five people in history have ever won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal: Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel ... and Norman Borlaug. > more Don't Cry Over rBST Milk Author : Henry I. Miller - (The New York Times) June 29, 2007   MILK occupies a special place in our lives and language. It has been dubbed “nature’s most perfect food,” and we speak sentimentally of the “land of milk and honey” and the “milk of human kindness.” > more Global Warming? Climate Activists' Credibility Gap Author : Steven Milloy - (Junkscience.com) June 21, 2007   Whether you believe in manmade global warming or not, you ought to question the bona fides of ClimateCounts given its roots — Stonyfield Farm’s dubious marketing and Fenton Communications’ fear profiteering. > more rbST Bomb Drops in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Author : Daniel Brandt - (Terry Etherton Blog) June 20, 2007   I got a bombshell dropped on me this past week when my milk inspector stopped by and said they had a meeting at our dairy (Swiss Premium Dairy, formerly Wengerts Dairy in Lebanon, PA), and have made a final decision to go 100% rBST free. As you may know, our dairy is owned by Dean Foods. > more Drink your dairy Author : Mary Smallsreed - (Tribune Chronicle) June 04, 2007   Mary Smallsreed of the Tribune Chronicle addresses some of the many terms commonly used in milk marketing, such as rBGH/rbST, IGF-1 and “antibiotic-free.” > more Bovine Growth Hormone: As harmless as Ol' Bessie herself? Author : Rich Maloof - (MSN Health & Fitness) June 04, 2007   Growth hormones exist naturally in a dairy cow and in the milk she produces. The hormone, called bovine somatotropin (bST) or bovine growth hormone (bGH), is a determining factor in how much milk the cattle can produce. > more Got Milk? Maybe, But Do You Know What Kind? Author : - (Kitsap Sun) May 30, 2007   This article offers several terms and definitions associated with milk. Health aspects of milk are discussed. For most Kitsap County residents born before the Reagan era, milk was a fairly easy term to define. It's what one poured over cereal in the morning, added to oatmeal to make it creamy or was used to dunk cookies before eating. > more Dairy farmer campaigns for rbST use Author : Doug Rich - (Midwest Ag Journal) May 25, 2007   "I am not an activist," says Carrol Campbell, a dairy farmer from Winfield, Kan. That is until recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST)-free milk began appearing in dairy cases. Since then Campbell has been talking to industry leaders, legislators, his dairy cooperative, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), and the Kansas Dairy Association about his concerns. > more Joe Mercola States Organic Milk has No Added Benefits; advocates raw milk Author : - (Mercola.com) May 15, 2007   Joe Mercola commented on the recent announcement that an organic milk surplus is expected this year, and questioned whether organic milk is any healthier for consumers than conventional milk. > more Some New Research Has Me Wondering If I Need to Change My Raw Milk Consumption Patterns Author : - (Complete Patient) May 14, 2007   In response to an article from Harvard Magazine titled, “Modern Milk,” the following article and comments from subscribers of the Complete Patient blog who are in favor of raw milk consumption, like the blog owner, were mixed in their concern regarding the natural hormones present in all milk. > more Propaganda at the public library Author : Cathy Trueman - (Maine Coast Now.com) May 09, 2007   What better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon than at the movies?? It was during the introduction that I began to realize that I was about to watch a very one-sided story. The movie was about genetically modified foods. > more Hormone-free milk ad is false Author : Grace Leong - (Daily Herald Online) May 04, 2007   Got synthetic hormone-free milk? How 'bout controversy? A milk marketing campaign by Associated Food Stores has riled several dairy farmers across the Beehive State and caught the eye of a state agency, forcing the Salt Lake City-based grocery cooperative to change its milk ads starting Sunday. > more PDMP and NEDPA issue a joint labeling appeal Author : Dairy Herd Management - (Dairy Herd Management) May 03, 2007   On Friday, April 27, the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) sent a joint letter to the Food and Drug Administration communicating the industry’s concerns about misleading advertising of dairy products. The letter was written on behalf of more than 350 members in the two organizations. Producer members of PDMP and NEDPA collectively own over 130,000 cows with farms of all sizes and represent a powerful presence in the dairy industry. > more Ben & Jerry's Embraces GM Ice Cream Protein? Author : Terry Etherton - (Terry Etherton's Blog) April 25, 2007   According to an article published in FoodNavigator.com, Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, one of the most visible anti-biotechnology ice cream makers in the United States, has moved closer to gaining approval in Europe to use an ice-structuring protein (ISP) isolated from genetically modified yeast. > more Organic farming is a fraud Author : Doyle Lentz - (The Forum) April 22, 2007   Earth Day is today, and you can bet there’ll be claims that organic crops are somehow “better” for planet Earth than conventional or biotech crops. But it’s the biggest misperception in agriculture. > more Fashionable Fear Author : Dean Kleckner - (Truth About Trade & Technology) April 06, 2007   The classic horror writer H.P. Lovecraft--think of him as a 1930s version of Stephen King--once wrote: “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Milk cartons exploit this primal sentiment when they carry labels reading “rBST-free.” > more BST: Is Ignorance Winning Over Safe and Sound Science? Author : Dennis Hallaway - (Hoard's West) March 21, 2007   On January 23 the board of directors of the nation's second largest dairy cooperative sent a letter to its members regarding the use of cloning and BST. So begins the lynching of sound and approved science. > more Dairy farmers feel emergency Author : Stan Freeman - (The Republican) March 20, 2007   AMHERST - Ted F. White doesn't have cable, the Internet or a car. The reason, he says, is that he's a Massachusetts dairy farmer. > more Childhood Obesity May Contribute to Earlier Puberty for Girls Author : - (Newswise) March 05, 2007   Newswise — Increasing rates of childhood obesity and overweight in the United States may be contributing to an earlier onset of puberty in girls, say researchers at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. > more Is love affair with organic milk curdling? Author : Harry Wallop, Business Correspondent - (Telegraph) February 26, 2007   The middle class's love affair with organic milk might be starting to sour, according to the latest industry data. After years of paying a premium for supposedly healthier milk, shoppers are no longer buying organic milk in ever increasing numbers. > more John Stossel: "Give Me a Break!" Author : John Stossel - (John Stossel) February 22, 2007   Food and Water Watch. Its demonstrations against food irradiation have stalled the irradiation of food in the U.S. Many grocery stores are too scared to carry it. Yet the CDC estimates that 5,000 people die every year from food poisoning. Organizations like the WHO, FDA, USDA, CDC and AMA all say irradiation is safe, but the activists are better at convincing people. > more Kleckner Speaks Out: Got Bilk? Author : Dean Kleckner - (Truth About Trade & Technology) February 22, 2007   How would you feel about an everyday product’s shooting up in price - but without any improvement in quality? It’s about to happen to milk - the Great Milk Bilk of 2007. A little misinformation can be a dangerous thing. Dairy farmers are now facing enormous pressure to drop rBST (Quit using it or I won’t buy your milk!). Read more of this article. > more Dairy producers concerned about losing rbST Author : Cecilia Parsons - (Capital Press) February 20, 2007   More than 100 dairy producers and people employed in the dairy industry crowded the meeting room and voiced their opinions on the marketing of rbST-free milk and the possible loss of artificial hormone as changing dairy technology. Read more of this article. > more DairyBusiness Communications "Voices for Choices" Campaign Author : DairyBusiness Communications - () February 14, 2007   DairyBusiness Communications’ “Voices for Choices” is aimed at creating industry support for producers’ opportunities to use safe and approved technologies, and for safeguarding the image of all milk as a natural and wholesome product. > more Agricultural Podcast Directory Now Available at FarmerFeeds.com Author : PRWeb - () February 12, 2007   FarmerFeeds.Com has been launched as the first website designed to help the farm media communicate better with farmers and the agriculture industry. > more Consumer Group Urges Attention to Existing Rules on rBST Milk Labels Author : nclnet.org - (nclnet.org) February 05, 2007   Amid Current Debate over Hormones, National Consumers League Encourages FDA to Revisit Decade-old Labeling Rules > more Taking Away Modern Technologies from Dairy Farmers Hurts the Environment Author : Troy L. Ott, Ph.D., PAS - (Troy L. Ott, Ph.D., PAS) February 05, 2007   Hold on to your wallets ladies and gentlemen. A number of large dairy processors are getting ready to pull the old “smoke-and-mirrors” trick that will result in you paying more for your milk while at the same time hurting the environment. “How could this be?” you say. > more John Block Reports from Washington Author : John Block - () February 05, 2007   So, what is so bad? Milk from cows that receive a supplement called bST that increases their milk production. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1993. We’ve already been drinking the milk for 13 years with no ill effects. The milk from a cow that is given the supplement is identical to the milk from a cow that does not receive the supplement. It is indistinguishable. The cow just gives more milk. > more Starbucks and Hormone Free Milk Author : Susan Allen - (AGINFO.NET) February 02, 2007   Our lattes will now cost more after Starbucks reported they will no longer use milk or cream that contains artificial hormones. > more Help poor families: Stop deceptive milk labeling Author : Kevin Marchman - (The Des Moines Register) February 02, 2007   A bag of fresh apples costs a lot more than a bag of cheese puffs. And guess what most kids prefer? > more No Need to Mooove to rBGH-Free Milk Author : Julianne Chickering - (American Council on Science and Health) January 17, 2007   With frappuccinos and lattes already pushing $5, Starbucks is making changes that will cause coffee lovers to dig even deeper into their wallets -- needlessly. > more Illinois Dairy Producers Speak Out About rbST Author : Terry Etherton's Blog - (Terry Etherton's Blog) January 16, 2007   After being approved for over ten years, the recent move to ban rbST use caught us by surprise. It seemed in the distance, since the movement was occurring on the east and west coasts. Then, in September 2006 we came face to face with the issue when our local co-op board (Prairie Farms) began discussing a ban on rbST use. > more Organic Activists Caught Manufacturing Fake News - Scientists Upset, Italian Newspapers Duped Author : Alex Avery - (CGFI) January 12, 2007   On December 26, the U.S.-based Organic Consumers Association posted a “news” item on their website claiming in a headline that new research found “wild bees reject biotech crops.” > more The Organic Food Myth Author : Jan Haugland - () January 10, 2007   Organic food has more to do with choosing an eco-lifestyle than safer or more healthy products, writes Rob Lyons. > more Dishing the dirt on organic food Author : Stephen McGinty - () January 08, 2007   BRITAIN'S agricultural industry was split last night over claims there is no conclusive evidence that organic food is healthier than products grown by conventional methods. > more 'No Proof' Organic Food is Better Author : BBC News - () January 07, 2007   There is no evidence organic food is better for you than conventional food, minister David Miliband has said. > more I'll have a cloneburger, medium rare Author : Andrew Kantor - () January 05, 2007   Last week, the Food and Drug Administration said that cloned animals are safe to eat. This isn't a surprise, of course; cloned animals — the ones that live to term — are really no different than any other animal any more than a test-tube baby is different than a typical one. > more African-American Organization Urges FDA to Stop Deceptive Marketing of 'No rBST Milk' Author : Kevin Marchman - (NOAAH: Low-Income Consumers Needlessly Paying More for Identical Milk) December 14, 2006   WASHINGTON, DC – The National Organization for African Americans in Housing (NOAAH), a non-profit advocate for low-income citizens, has called on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to stop dairy processors from deceptively marketing “no rBST” milk, which is identical to other milk but costs more. > more Bovine Somatotropin Author : Feedstuffs - (Feedstuffs) December 04, 2006   Bovine somatotropin (bST) is a tool used by dairy producers to enhance milk production and improve the efficiency of dairy operations. bST is a natural protein produced in the pituitary glands of cattle. Milk from cows receiving supplemental bST is unchanged. > more Dairymen Organize to Protect Technologies Author : Sherry Bunting - (Farmshine) November 07, 2006   SCHAEFFERSTOWN, Pa. – “There are very important things at stake,” said dairy practitioner Dr. Brian Reed of Agricultural Veterinarian Associates based in Denver, Pa. “Producers have a choice to use or not use technologies that are available. That’s what I’m here to talk about: not to cause conflict but to find common ground. I’m not here to argue the merits of rBST. That was done 12 to 15 years ago during the FDA approval process and in the day-to-day decisions on individual dairy farms. I’m here to reaffirm that all milk is safe, nutritious and wholesome.” > more PodCast: Consumer Awareness of Biotechnology - Separating Fact from Fiction Author : Terry Etherton - (Terry Etherton, Penn State University) November 06, 2006   I had the pleasure of speaking at a meeting of dairy producers in Lebanon County, PA on October 25, 2006 about rbST-free milk, and the tactics that some milk cooperatives are using to force producers who use rbST to STOP supplementing cows with rbST. The highlights of this meeting were reported in depth by Sherry Bunting in the October 27, 2006 issue of Farmshine, and the reader of this Blog is encouraged to read this excellent article. > more Today rbST - What's Next? Author : Dennis Wolff - (Pafarmnews) November 01, 2006   HARRISBURG – Recently, there has been renewed attention on the use of rbST (recombinant bovine somatatropin), a synthetic version of the natural protein growth hormone in dairy cattle. Dairy producers can use this product as a herd management tool to increase milk production. > more Frustrations Vented Over Questionable Milk Marketing Practices Author : Sherry Bunting - (Farmshine) October 26, 2006   SCHAEFFERSTOWN, Pa. – Opinions without fact. Decision points without understanding. “We can scare consumers in a 30-second sound-bite, but we can’t educate them in 30 seconds,” said Dr. Terry Etherton, department head and distinguished professor of animal nutrition at Penn State University’s Department of Dairy and Animal Sciences. “Processors and cooperatives need to stand in the light of public understanding with some accountability. The “rBST-free” labeling (and the push to get producers to sign papers) is nothing but smoke and mirrors.” > more Organic Milk Industry Reveals Hypocrisy Author : Steven Milloy - (Fox News) October 05, 2006   Farm Aid benefit concerts are supposed to be about raising money to help family farmers. Last week’s Farm Aid event, however, seems to have had more to do with benefiting the multibillion dollar organic milk industry – at the expense of those same family farmers and the environment. > more Food fear is anti-bST marketing tool Author : Feedstuffs - (Feedstuffs) September 25, 2006