Forum Aims to Reveal the 'Truth About Milk'

MARILYN HERSHEY
Southeastern Pa. Correspondent

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Nearly 50 people attended a seminar entitled "The Truth About Milk" at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Monday Jan. 8. American Agriculturist Editor John Vogel organized the seminar to "clear the air of misinformation that is leaking to the consumer about rbST," according to Vogel.   
Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff opened the event by introducing Trent Loos, a sixth-generation Nebraska rancher who "serves as a bridge between farmers and consumers" with his radio show, Loos Tales, and his column in Feedstuffs Magazine. Loos served as moderator for the seminar.
In the past year, Loos has traveled to 29 states and spoken to 15,000 farmers, ranchers, commodity groups, and youth about their role in agriculture.
Food safety was the theme as each panelist explained their involvement in getting information to the consumer. They all represented a different approach to the issue of rbST (recombinant bovine somatotropin), a production-boosting hormone administered to cows by some dairy producers.
Dr. Terry Etherton, department head of Dairy and Animal Science at Penn State, has completed several scientific studies on rbST and is internationally known for his findings.  On Penn State's Dairy and Science Website, Etherton posts a blog, much of it pertaining to his work with rbST and his effort to show that using rbST is a safe practice, posing no threat to humans, and that consumers are being misguided by a movement to label some milk as "rbST-free."
Daniel Brandt, a dairy producer from Lebanon County brought personal experience to the panel.  Brandt is in a partnership with his brother and they milk 100 registered Holsteins on their family farm in Annville, Pa.    According to Brandt, his experience using rbST has resulted in a healthy, productive, and profitable herd of cows. Brandt shared concern about what he believes is the public's misconception of rbST and the effects that misunderstanding might have on his dairy's herd management.  The product is a "tool used to keep his cows healthy and in good body condition," he said. 
Food and Water Watch (FWW), an organization based in Washington, D.C. was represented by Patricia Lovera, assistant director with the group.
FWW is "fighting to prevent chemical corruption and pollution of the food system," Lovera said. She stood behind FWW's stance against antibiotics and rbST in the dairy industry, saying that "the consumer is asking for a safe product."
Lovera also expressed concern about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its approval methods.
Michael Hydock, safety director and chief of the Laboratory Division, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, expressed concern over "rbST-free" milk labels.
Such labels lead consumers to believe there is a significant difference in the quality of milk products when scientific tests have proven there is "no detectable difference between rbST, rbST-free, and organic milk," Hydock said.
Etherton pointed out that it takes "30 seconds to scare people" about an issue and "educating consumers about the truth takes months."
FDA approved rbST in 1993, after years of research. Standing behind the fact that America has the "safest food supply and available technology to detect any flaw," Etherton claimed that reports against rbST stand on false assumptions rather than scientific facts. The "facts show the true safety of the product," he said.
After the discussion, some dairy producers at the forum spoke about the need to "stand up for the dairy business, get the farmer's story to the consumer, and use the tools available."
Jeff Harding of Monsanto Dairy (the company that markets rbST) sees that "farmers today are making more milk on less land, less cows, and higher costs in the history of farming." He also points out that in order for that to continue, farmers need to "follow in Daniel Brandt's footsteps and become a voice for the dairy industry."
Loos pointed out that the forum was not intended to divide or frustrate attendees, rather to "foster a new method of communication."  He encouraged farmers to becoming informed in communicating information to the public, being careful not to "eliminate choice, rather promote choices that are based on facts, not on assumptions."
Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Sarah Caldwell, and alternates Katie Waddell and Vanessa Ebersole presented a skit demonstrating that in each type of milk — conventional, rbST-free and organic — the quality and taste is the same.
All milk has "17 essential minerals and vitamins, is full of nutrients and great taste, and is tested for purity and quality," they said.  According to the trio, the only difference is price: organic and rbST-free milk are more expensive.
The day was sponsored by American Agriculturist, Feedstuffs and Feedstuffs Foodlink.