 |
Veto of milk label bill sought By James CarlsonApril 10, 2009 - 6:36am A collective of groups from across the country is asking Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to veto a bill that would require a disclaimer on milk produced without the use of artificial growth hormones. The bill "interferes with consumers' right to know what is in their food and how it’s produced and farmers and dairies have the right to tell them," said Michael Hansen, senior scientist for Food Safety for Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. Under the measure sent to the governor this week, Kansas dairy plant operators would have to verify claims that milk was free of artificial hormones with an affidavit from the milk producer. Dairy operations certified as organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would be exempt from the new labeling provisions. In the wake of a similar proposal dying in the Legislature last year, the Kansas Department of Agriculture had been working on a new regulation requiring the label. The growth hormone rBGH is used by dairy farmers to increase milk production. Some farms, including Iwig Family Dairy in Tecumseh, produce milk without the use of that hormone and advertise that practice on their bottles. The Federal Drug Administration has said that milk from hormone-treated and non-hormone-treated cows are the same, and the bill would require non-hormone-treated milk bottles to say so. Groups against the rule have said the science is still up in the air and pointed to Europe and Canada that ban use of the hormone. "Since the FDA’s controversial decision to approve the use of rBGH, questions have only grown about its safety for humans," Hansen said. For the original article, click here. |
| home I about I join I contact us I resources I members only |
