I don't know the answers...am tossing out idea for discussions and information. Is it possible that the growth hormones and steroids added to the feed of so many "meat animals" (pigs, cows, turkeys, chickens, etc.) are being passed on to us who consume these animals as meats? If this is so, would that also contribute to the increase in the average size of people these days? Another, related thread that was in a post yesterday... What about the bovine growth hormone that is in cow's milk? Does this also contaminate, as it were, ABM? Do ABM containers have to have a warning label saying that they are made from milk of cows whose feed contained this hormone? (Yuck.) And a confession that makes some practices seem understandable. What little cow's milk we use in our home is made from powdered milk. (Concentrated hormones? Do I need to worry about that, too?) Anyway, I've always reconstituted it with scant measurement. For example, to make 1 quart of milk, I should use 1.333 cups of powdered milk; instead, I use more like 1 cup. Granted, this is not a significant part of our diet - used only on cereal and in coffee and cooking where called for. Still, when I realized what I was doing, I thought about the mothers who use scant measurements when making formula from powdered formula. There is such a temptation to stretch it; to try and put off going to the store for another couple days, to say that it's not hurting anyone. I could NEVER do that to a baby (things would have to be mighty drastic to even make formula something I'd have in my house.) I see what compells mothers to do this with formula, and just how easy it is to justify it (if you don't know a lot about infant nutrition, that is :( ) Beth Hilleke 2425 Spring Garden St. Charleston, SC 29414-5535 803-556-6131 [log in to unmask]