European Union Scientific Committee Says Monsanto's Posilac (rBGH) Should Not Be Used
Return to
Monsanto Investing News web page.
Here are the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Scientific Committee on
Animal Health and Animal Welfare on the Animal Welfare Aspects of the Use of
Bovine Somatotrophin (Adopted 10 March 1999). Looks like we agree with
Canada!
Full text is on website
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg24/health/sc/scah/out21_en.html
General conclusion
BST is used to increase milk yield, often in already high-producing cows. BST
administration causes substantially and very significantly poorer welfare
because of increased foot disorders, mastitis, reproductive disorders and
other production related diseases. These are problems which would not
occur if BST were not used and often results in unnecessary pain, suffering
and distress. If milk yields were achieved by other means which resulted in
the health disorders and other welfare problems described above, these means
would not be acceptable. The injection of BST and its repetition
every 14 days also causes localised swellings which are likely to result in
discomfort and hence some poor welfare Recommendation
BST use causes a substantial increase in levels of foot problems and mastitis
and leads to injection site reactions in dairy cows. These conditions,
especially the first two, are painful and debilitating, leading to
significantly poorer welfare in the treated animals. Therefore from the point
of view of animal welfare, including health, the Scientific Committee on Animal
Health and Animal Welfare is of the opinion that BST should not be used in
dairy cows.