BST FREE: The Debate Over Whether to Allow Voluntary Labeling of Products as "BST Free" Not Derived from Dairy Cows Given the Milk Production Hormone BST

Abstract

The debate over whether to label milk and other dairy products as coming from cows injected with the milk production hormone bovine somatotropin (BST or rBGH--recombinant bovine growth hormone) pits consumers, like Darlene Lynwood, who see milk as that wholesome and pure liquid you give your children against biotechnology entrepreneurs who want to move the United States into the Twenty-first Century. As one of the first agricultural biotechnology products to come to market, BST milk is seen as a test case for bioengineered foods. The outcome of the labeling debate and the degree of public acceptance of the product will send a message to the developers of a range of other genetically engineered foods (including vegetables, pork, and poultry) waiting in the wings.