From: Lloyd Metzger <lem5@cornell.edu>

Subject: Re: Milk: No antibiotics but bovine growth hormone?

>

>I just visited the Dairy Council here in Colorado a few months ago, and they

>explained a rather rigurous procedure that keeps antibiotics out the ALL the milk > they supply to grocers. They receive a vial of milk at each dairy they collect milk at

>and test it at their lab. If ANY antibiotics are found in a vial they MUST throw out

>everyone's milk that was mixed with it in the truck. That dairyman whose milk was the source of antibiotics MUST pay for every dairyman's milk that was discarded.

>What they don't test for is the bovine growth hormone that is rather

>controversial these days.

>

>Julie Thurnau (Dietetic Intern)

>

>

You are correct about the rigorous testing milk goes through to be sure it

is safe and free of antibiotics. As far as bovine growth hormone goes, the

reason that testing is not done is because all milk contains bovine growth

hormone regardless of whether or not the cow producing the milk is

receiving bovine growth hormone. In other words all milk contains

naturally occurring bovine growth hormone and therefore it would be useless

to test for it.

Lloyd