The Associated Press
October 30, 2001

University of Wisconsin-Madison officials said Tuesday the school's dairy will no longer guarantee its milk supplies come from herds that avoid use of the genetically engineered dairy hormone BGH.

Bovine growth hormone, also known by the scientific name of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST), is injected in cows to increase the amount of milk they produce.

Tom Blattner, administrative director of UW-Madison's Babcock dairy, said the decision mirrors actions taken by other Wisconsin dairy processing plants that once separated their milk supplies based on use of the hormone. Blattner said it's becoming increasingly difficult to find BGH-free milk.

The Babcock dairy will continue to work to provide alternative fluid milk supplies for as long as it is possible to locate supplemental BGH-free supplies in the marketplace and as long as demand exists, Blattner said.

"We will continue to purchase our milk supplies based on the highest quality and safety standards possible to ensure continued quality of our fluid milk, ice cream and cheese," he said.

Babcock's primary university customers for its milk include the residence halls, student unions and the hospital.

Blattner said there is an increased acceptance and use of the hormone as well as extensive scientific studies showing it poses no risk to humans or animals.

"We have detected very little consumer concern in recent years about the (BGH) issue," Blattner said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, after extensive scientific study, determined that milk from cows receiving BGH is no different from milk produced by cows not receiving BGH.

Since consumer concerns over BGH arose more than 10 years ago, the Babcock plant has avoided using milk from herds receiving the hormone but has not promoted or labeled its milk products as BGH-free, Blattner said.

The Babcock dairy plant operates as a research, instruction and outreach facility of the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.