1. Many milk companies have responded to consumer requests for choice in the dairy aisle, including dairy products from cows not treated with synthetic hormones. This is not related to any health or safety issue.

2. Dairy companies use labels that follow FDA guidance to assure consumers that their dairy product claims are truthful and not misleading. Under the federal guidelines, processors nationwide understand what can and cannot be placed on a label regarding the use of synthetic hormones. Because these are national guidelines, dairy companies can market products locally, regionally and nationally.

3. Extensive studies have concluded that milk from animals treated with rbST is the same, wholesome product that we have enjoyed for generations. This has been affirmed and reaffirmed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), among many other leading health organizations.

4. All milk naturally contains minute amounts of hormones, and science shows that there is no significant difference in hormone levels between organic and regular milk.

If asked why rbST is not allowed in Canada and several European countries?

• Canada and several European countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have affirmed that milk produced from rbST-supplemented cows is safe for human consumption. However, these countries don't allow the sale of rbST to local farmers for animal, economic and other reasons — not human health considerations.

If asked about IGF-1:

• Extensive studies have confirmed that the IGF-1 levels in milk from cows treated with rbST are within the normal range. This finding has been reaffirmed by FDA, the World Health Organization and other scientific bodies for almost 15 years.

• IGF-1 is a natural protein found in all milk from all cows — as well as the human body. Like any other protein, it is broken down and digested naturally.

If asked about cancer:

• According to the American Cancer Society and the FDA, there is no evidence linking milk from rbST-supplemented cows to an increased risk of cancer.

If asked whether hormones in milk are related to early puberty in girls:

• There is no research that demonstrates this. Any link is purely speculative.

Additional background:

• bST is a protein hormone that occurs naturally in cows. Some farmers choose to supplement their cows with rbST to help increase milk production.

• All milk naturally contains bovine somatotropin (bST). While some farmers choose to supplement their cows with additional bST, science shows that there is no effect on bST levels in the milk itself.

• Hormones are naturally present in many foods of either plant or animal origin, including all milk.

• "Fighting on a Battlefield the Size of a Milk Label"

• Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the Washington Dairy Products Commission (WDPC)

• Citizens for the Integrity of Science

• USDA/APHIS — Background on bovine somatotropin

• FDA:
  • Press release on "hormone free" claims on dairy products
  • Report on the review of the safety of rbST
  • Statement on dietary IGF-I and rbST

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Technology Assessment/Consensus Statement

• Cornell University — bST Fact Sheet

• UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/Joint FAO — World Health Organization (WHO) Committee — Summary of scientific findings and recommendation to CODEX

• Dairy Industry:
  • National Dairy Council — Food Safety Fact Sheet
  • Position of IDFA: Biotechnology and Bovine Somatotropin, including Q&A
  • Dairy Farming Today