Panel Issues Paper on rbST and Milk Safety

An independent expert panel of physicians, nutritionists, and animal scientists has found that recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST), the supplement approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for increasing milk production in lactating dairy cows, is not a danger to human health.

The expert panel, led by Richard Raymond, MD, former USDA undersecretary for food safety and chief medical officer of Nebraska, completed a thorough review of the research and has published a summary paper addressing relevant scientific issues. The paper is the first comprehensive review and compilation of scientific data since the initial documentation was provided to the FDA in support of the approval of rbST, and concludes “with confidence” that milk from rbST-supplemented cows “is a good and wholesome source of vital nutrients,” said Dr. Raymond.

“Contrary to some claims,” he added, “There is no scientific link between drinking milk from cows supplemented with rbST and any human health issues.” Rather, rbST is one example of the type of efficient food production practices that will be needed as global food needs continue to increase beyond the Earth’s natural resource capacities.

Read the full article at TheDairySite.com.