rBGH

• What is rBGH?
• Research on health
• The FDA policy
• Organic milk production footprint
• PCC's view and what you can do
• Links and resources

PCC's view

Increasing milk production with rBGH does not improve taste or nutrition. It also is not necessary since a surplus of milk is not uncommon in the United States, which is the reason for dairy price supports.

When dairy producers increase milk production by using rBGH, the increased supply further depresses milk prices. This narrows the profit margin and puts smaller farmers who don't use rBGH at a competitive disadvantage, threatening the viability of their farms.

At PCC, all our fluid milk, cheese, sour cream, butter, yogurt, kefir and ice cream are produced without the use of rBGH, or any other artificial growth hormones for that matter.

We encourage you to read the labels of dairy products, just as you would other foods. Many non-organic dairies label their products as "rBGH-free," "rBST-free" or "No artificial hormones." Organic dairy always will be produced without rBGH, since organic standards prohibit the use of synthetic hormones.

PCC believes that consumers have a right to know how our food is produced and the right to an informed choice.

What you can do

Ask questions. Ask if the milk served at your child's school, the cheese on your home-delivery pizza, or the ice cream at the corner café is free of artificial hormones. For home consumption, buy organic milk products, which by law must be produced without any artificial hormones.

Be aware that dairy labels claiming a product to be "hormone free" are not accurate. All dairy products contain natural hormones; rBGH is the synthetic, genetically engineered pharmaceutical version.