[605] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
BGH big-business muscle
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Matthew Krom)
Thu Jun 22 12:36:48 1995
To: vsg@MIT.EDU
From: krom@media.mit.edu (Matthew Krom)
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 95 12:25:50 EDT"
I was surprised to hear, in this posting, that Mosanto (manufacturers of rBGH,
the controversial Bovine Growth Hormone) is beginning to sue small dairy
producers for using a "BGH-Free" labelling.
Apologies if you don't think this relates to vegetarianism... I don't buy milk
myself, but hormones and antibiotics in animals is a big talking point for
vegetarianism!
Cheers,
Matt
[forwarded from another list]
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...
_Vegetarian Times_ recently ran an article called "BGH Labeling Laws Baffle
Dairy Producers" (July 1995, page 15). It describes how BGH producer
Monsanto Co. has sued two dairy producers for advertising their products as
BGH-free. One case was settled out of court; the other is still pending.
Ronny Cummins, director of the Pure Food Campaign, alleges that Monsanto has
sent thousands of threatening letters to dairy processors. According to the
article, the FDA has approved BGH-free labeling, but labeling of BGH-tainted
products is not required and the wide range of state laws on the subject
effectively prevents development of BGH-free labels which will meet all
requirements.
It seems that BGH-using companies are not above using intimidation to chill
the issue. When I called my local health food store, they said that they had
tried to put up a sign describing which of their products were BGH-free, but
one of the reps from a BGH-using company got really mad when he saw it. They
feel they can't tell him to take a hike yet because they're waiting to get a
BGH-free company to start delivering.
The best thing any of us can do is to make a lot of noise. Call your
supermarket or health food store and tell them that you don't want to buy
BGH-tainted milk products. Call or e-mail your elected representatives and
complain that the FDA should require labeling when BGH is used. Get a
t-shirt that says "No BGH" or something. The American public overwhelmingly
wants BGH labeling, but if Monsanto gets its way it'll never happen.
To get a list of companies that don't use BGH-tainted milk, call the Pure
Food Campaign at 1-800-253-0681.
Kelly
khen99@aol.com
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