Milk Labeling update...

Well, it's not a victory but it is not a total defeat. The governor of Ohio issued an executive order which allows milk to be labeled as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) free BUT (and this is a big but) the label must also contain a FDA disclaimer that “no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbST-supplemented and non-rbST supplemented cows.”

Also the milk is no longer allowed to say “no hormone,” “hormone-free,” “rbST-free” or “bST-free” instead the label will read “this milk is from cows not supplemented with rbST." I wonder if they are thinking Ohio consumers will never read an entire sentence. Little do they know that we who regularly read entire ingredient lists are out here! The dairy will have to take steps to prove it did not give it's cows rbST and this is what worries me, what form will this take? The state of Ohio has a tendency to be very hard handed with small diaries...

This emergency order is in effect for 90 days while the state writes up the final rules which are expected to mirror these.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to write or call about this issue. Your voice was heard, kind of. But in all reality if those who cared had not raised a stink when they tried to push this threw the week between Christmas and New Years we would (in all likelihood) be looking at a flat out ban on labeling.