ITS NOT ALL BLACK AND

WHITE.
rbST: The gray spot in 
the dairy industry
#

Elizabeth Breuer
Dietetic Intern
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

Farmer

Nutrition Expert

Dairy Consumer

OBJECTIVES

Explain the relationship between rbST and animal

welfare, environmental impact, and human
consumption safety.
Examine the research on the impact of agriculture
management labels, specifically rbST, on consumer
knowledge and perception.
Establish the role of the RD in conveying science
based facts on agriculture management labels
(specifically rbST) as defined by the Academy.

THE DILEMMA:
Nutrition

CONSUMER
CONFUSION

Sustainability

Animal
Welfare

Health

rbST

Environment

Production
Practices

Safety
Culture and Religion

DEFINITIONS

bST
bovine somatotropin
growth hormone found in cattle that works to regulate milk
production through coordinating the metabolism of body tissues
so that more nutrients can be used for milk synthesis.

rbST
recombinant bovine somatotropin
bST produced in the lab using recombinant DNA technology.
20, 57

1920s
bovine growth
hormone or BGH

1930s
Experiments

HISTORY
1980s
Renamed:
BGH now bST

1970s
Successful gene
transfer into a
bacterium

1994
Released for
commercial use

1993
FDA approval

8, 6, 13, 57, 63

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF
HOW RBST
rb WORKS
#

Pituitary Gland

Somatotropin (ST)

Supplemented 
rbST
10, 32, 46

TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF LACTATION

PRODUCTION CURVE
#

57

#rb
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OFRBST

More milk per pound of feed

6.8% reduction in manure production
7.3% reduction in green house gas
Nitrogen excretion reduced by 9.1%

365

=
9, 20, 57

INCIDENCE OF MASTITIS
#

25

Percent U.S. Dairy

Cows given bST

Percentage

20

Percent US Dairy
Cows with Clinical
Mastitis

15
10
5
0
1996

2002

2007
Year

*Increase in the clinical mastitis was

4-9x less than the effects due to
other sources of variation.

VU 13
adipiscing elit

20, 63, 57

Human Consumption Safety

#

ANTIBIOTIC RESIDUES IN MILK

Residues are traced by the U.S. National Drug
Residue Milk Monitoring Program.
Any bulk milk tanker found positive for drug
residues is rejected.
No product-related increase in residues above
the approved limit.
2, 57, 63

2, 44, 63

MILK QUALITY STANDARDS

#

Antibiotics &
Drug Residues
Zero tolerance
Mandated to test
prior to accepting
milk

Somatic Cell
Count
< 750,000 cells/mL

63

WHAT IS BST
b COORDINATING?
GHR
receptors

bST

nutrients
# Signal
IGF-1

Mammary
Glands
10, 46

b
HUMAN CONSUMPTION SAFETY: BST
IN MILK
#
bST levels in milk are not

significantly higher in milk from

rbST treated cows.
bST is inactive in humans.

There is no test that can

differentiate between milk

from rbST treated and nonrbST treated cows.
20, 73, 57, 59

IGF-1

Insulin-like Growth
Factor 1

56

IGF-1 CONCENTRATION IN
BULK TANK MILK
#

Untreated Range: 1 9 ng/mL

rbST-treated Range: 1 13 ng/mL

Variable according to factors such as:

Herd (4x)
Parity (2x)
Stage of lactation (3x) Nutrition (2x)
Season (3x)
34, 57

EFFECTS OF PROCESSING ON
IGF-1 CONCENTRATION
#

IGF-1 is not broken down by pasteurization.

Sterilization of liquid formula completely denatures
IGF-1
Processing of dry milk powder does not denature
IGF-1
25, 34, 40, 50, 57

HUMAN PRODUCTION OF#

IGF-1 COMPARED TO MILK
Majority of IGF-1 is broken down by digestion
Human production of IGF-1 far exceeds milk
IGF-1
Daily IGF-1 production from saliva and other digestive
secretions is equal to the amount of IGF-1 in 95 quarts
of milk
Daily IGF-1 production from the entire body is equal to
the amount of IGF-1 in over 3,000 quarts of milk
56, 57

IGF-1 CONCENTRATION IN
HUMANS
#

Inconclusive evidence when looking at the relationship between

IGF-1 levels in the blood and milk consumption
Some studies have shown that adults who drink milk have
about 10% higher levels of IGF-1 in their blood than those
who drink little or no milk.
Same finding has also been reported in people who drink soy
milk.
Suggests that the increase in IGF-1 may not be specific to
cow's milk, and may be caused by protein, minerals, or some
other factors unrelated to rbST.
23, 56, 57, 59

IMPACT OFRBST
rb ON MILK
COMPOSITION
#

few and minor differences in the

composition of conventional, rbSTfree, or organic labeled milk, and
that all milk is wholesome.It is
important to appreciate that rbST
use does not affect milk
composition, and that all milk (ie,
conventional, rbST-free, and
organic) is compositionally similar.
SOURCE: Vincini, et al. Survey of Retail Milk Composition as Affected by
Label Claims Regarding Farm-Management Practices. Journal of the
American Dietetic Assn. July 2008
57,

68

It is important for food and nutrition professionals to

know that conventional, rbST-free and organic milk
are compositionally similar so they can serve as a
key resource to consumers who are making milk
purchase decisions in the marketplace where there
are misleading label claims 

68

The FDA has ruled that milk

produced with rbST is safe and
no rbST labels are necessary.
However, rbST labels can be
found on dairy products
What type of information have
consumers been getting from
labels and do they understand
them?

RBST
rb PRODUCT LABELING
Absence-claim labels imply labeled milk is safer or better
than non-labeled milk
Label claims are not related to any significant differences in milk
composition
Milk labeled rbST-free or organic is $1-4 more per gallon than
conventional milk
Retailers charge 20% more for milk with rbST free label
Consumer impact is different depending on where claims are
made (front or back of package)
73, 15, 38, 68

FRONT OF PACKAGE RBST

rb
LABELING
#

Front of Package labels display voluntary labels and

attributes

BST-free labels: 

Misleading
Possibly indicating there is a benefit to
having rBST-free milk
20, 22, 15, 38, 53, 62

BACK OF PACKAGE RBST

rb
LABELING
#

15, 38

CONSUMER
CONFUSION

Research has found that

beliefs related to nutritional
quality match.
This is NOT true for beliefs
related to environmental
impact, which is left to
individual perception,
subjective beliefs and firm
advertisement.
15, 38

rb
HORMONE-FREE? RBST-FREE?
# DO
CONSUMERS UNDERSTAND THESE
TERMS?
Important Factors for Consumers
when making milk purchases
4.3%

rbST-free or
rbGH-free
Other
95.7%
"What Drives Consumer Milk Purchases?" Nielsen Homescan Panel Research
(2010): n. pag. Web. 13 Jan. 2015.
22, 45, 70

HORMONE-FREE? RBST-FREE?
rb
# DO
CONSUMERS UNDERSTAND THESE
TERMS?
Important Factors for Consumers when Making Milk
Purchases

45, 57, 70

LEGISLATION AND OTHER

CONSIDERATIONS
#

Science and consumer perception come

together to shape legislation and
regulation of rBST.

VERMONT

Vermont legislation mandated

1995 rbST labeling.
Intention: Place burden of labeling on
farmers who use rbST
Reality: Burden placed on retailers
International Dairy Foods Association
(IFDA) filed suit against legislation

1996

2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled

with IFDA. Mandatory labeling not
justified

62, 39

VERMONT POLL
#

1995
! 48% of responders noticed a
change in the way dairy
products were labeled 
! Of those that noticed a change
in the labels, only 21%
interpreted the labels correctly 
! 62% of those who disagreed
with rbST supplementation did
not understand the labels

1996
! 43% of respondents considered
the rbST labeling to be effective
or very effective in providing
information to consumers

rbST labeling in Vermont

was ineffective
62, 39

NEVADA, ILLINOIS
AND TEXAS
#

No rbST labeling
allowed
It was believed that
labeling would lower milk
consumption and could
mislead consumers
62

FDA

2002
Permitted processors to label products 
rbST-free
Worried without proper context, claims 
would mislead consumers
Encouraged producers to use disclaimer
Left primary enforcement responsibilities 
to states
2003
Began to enforce labeling standards
3, 38, 39

OHIO

International Dairy Foods Association v. Boggs

Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) prohibited dairy
processors from stating that their milk products were produced
without the use of rbST.
International Dairy Foods Association and Organic Trade Association
claimed regulations violated their First Amendment rights.
Governor Strickland directed ODA to define what constitutes false
and misleading labels on dairy products and provide supporting
documentation and labels consistent with the FDAs stance
Courts ruled in favor of International Dairy Foods Association and
Organic Trade Association consumers have the right to know how
their milk was produced.
3

rb
RBST-FREE
GROCERY STORES,
CO-OPS, COMPANIES &
RESTAURANTS
#

5, 26, 66

REGULATORY AUTHORITIES
#

Conclusions from separate

reviews match that of the
FDAs : rbST is safe.

57, 46

rb NOT
WHERE IS RBST
APPROVED?
#

Australia
New Zealand
Japan
Canada
European Union
13, 57

U.S. versus E.U.

#

United States
Universities, Firms and
Companies allowed to
research
Publicized
congressional hearings
Press coverage
Third parties
participated in debate

European Union
Mad cow disease set
stage for low confidence
in EU regulatory process
CAP directly subsidized
milk output
Green movement against
biotechnology
Safety studies no
conducted
13, 57

THIRD PARTIES
#

Concluded that milk

produced with rbST
supplementation and
milk produced
without the use of
are virtually identical
in terms of quality,
safety, and nutritional
composition.
The evidence for potential harm to humans is inconclusive.
It is not clear that drinking milk produced using rBGH
significantly increases IGF-1 levels in humans or adds to the
risk of developing cancer. More research is needed to help
better address these concerns.
13

ROLE OF THE RD

Stay current on
research
Consumer knowledge
is important so that
consumers can make
informed purchasing
decisions about milk
and other dairy
products based on
science.

For dietitians to effectively respond to

consumer questions and perceptions about
different milk label claims, they must convey
science-based facts about food and
understand whether the nutrient
composition found in retail milk with various
management labels differ
SOURCE: Vincini, et al. Survey of Retail Milk Composition as Affected by Label
Claims Regarding Farm-Management Practices. Journal of the American
Dietetic Assn. July 2008

SUMMARY

Labeling
Even if we look at nutritional quality to be fully objective, measuring
consumers beliefs is a complicated path, filled with difficulties and
moral dilemmas.
Many consumers do not understand rbST/rbGH related labels

rbST Safety
Dairy products are among the most tested and regulated foods in
the United States.
All milk is antibiotic free
The safety of milk from cows supplemented with rbST has been
comprehensively and consistently documented.

THANK YOU

Ashley Simper
Golda Ewalt
Michelle Dinges
Senior Interns: Laura,
Candace and Lexi
Junior Interns

QUESTIONS?