Beginning of a Trend?
Newscom reports that: “The two largest milk distributors in southern New England are switching to a product free of artificial growth hormones.” While the geographical limitation on that statement makes the change sound limited, it could be the start of a trend. The companies who own these distributors are major players and they are the first two “major companies” to make the move. One of the companies, Dean Foods, which sells milk under the Garelick Farms brand, is using New England as a test case to determine whether to switch to hormone-free milk in other markets.
The growth hormone is usually the reason consumers choose organic milk over regular brands, despite the fact that organic milk costs twice as much. (While this price differential could lead to a whole discussion about whether it is easier for the rich to eat healthy food than it is for the poor, we will leave that discussion for another day.) Sales of organic milk have grown 20 percent or more, which “is driving our demand for milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones,” said one milk industry official. While it is unclear in the article, it appears that the companies will not be selling organic milk, they will be selling hormone-free milk. So, organic farming practices will not be used to produce the milk.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, the artificial hormones are safe. Where the hormones are banned in Europe, the decision is “more for their effects on cows than on people.”
