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Subject:
From:
"Kathleen G. Auerbach" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 28 Mar 1995 22:22:00 CST
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Re: BGH question in yesterday's digest, please note that at least twice in
the past four months, I have heard very detailed and interesting
discussions on the National Public Radio hookup with Canada Public Radio
(Sunday late AM, after I get home from church) re: this. Both programs
(perhaps a repeat) were about the concerns of Canadian dairy farmers re:
this.

Apparently, mastitis is considerably more common when cows are injected
with BGH. The value of the animal is such that increasingly, farmers are
questioning the presumed benefits of BGH when a death means a) loss of a
productive milker; b) loss of the mother of the calf who must now be
hand-fed (and thus is less desirable both for coat/hide, and meat or milk
production).

Additionally, the farmers question the degree to which BGH increases milk
production and growth to adulthood (and hence, breeding age).

I have read several articles (in the dairy literature), most of which have
been sponsored in whole or part by the pharmaceutical industry related to
dairy farming. As you might guess, their conclusions are that BGH does NOT
get into the milk of the cow given BGH and thus poses no risk to humans and
others who drink the milk. However, if people get sick from such BGH-added
milk, doesn't that infer that something is in the milk if not BGH itself?
Perhaps a metabolite of same? Or that it is there but not in quantities
sufficient to identify by milk chemistries?

Any chemist out there who is reading/listening might be able to provide
cogent information on the above point.

[log in to unmask]                                kga

         %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
         %%  Kathleen G. Auerbach, PhD, IBCLC    %%
         %%        Lactation Services            %%
         %%        Homewood, Illinois            %%
         %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

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