Sebelius Vetoes Measures Blocking Daries From Advertising Milk As "Hormone-Free"

[hatrack]

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is standing up for consumers' right to know in a big way. She has repelled the latest attempt by the agrichemical industry to prevent the simple labeling of milk that is produced without the use of synthetic hormones. Monsanto, before it sold its recombinant bovine growth hormone (known as rgGH or rbST), had started a backroom state-by-state campaign to convince state agricultural departments to ban the use of "hormone-free" milk labeling.

Earlier this month in Ohio, a federal court upheld that state's decision to go along with the agrichemical industry (Monsanto sold its synthetic hormone business to Eli Lily a few months ago). The move also sends a signal to the nation -- not only because several other states (Pennsylvania, Missouri and Indiana, among them) are considering labeling bans -- but because Sebelius is President Obama's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

She criticized the bill because it "could make it more difficult to provide consumers with clear information. The milk labeling provisions negatively impact a dairy producer’s ability to inform consumers that milk is from cows not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBST)."

The use of these hormones is banned throughout most other first world nations. The labeling issue is moot in the 27-nation European Union, along with Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, since they don't allow the use of synthetic hormones in the first place.

EDIT

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/hormone-free-milk-47040204-clone-1240580665

[pleah]

1. K&R

[burning rain]

2. Boy, giant agribusiness are all for the flag & freedom, huh?

*

[Pacifist Patriot]

3. Should be moot here too. Good for her!

[Wednesdays]

4. What is the logic behind banning the labels, anyway?

Other than criminal greed, that is.

That knowing something is hormone-free is hazardous to your health? :crazy:

[TheWraith]

5. They don't want people preferring hormone-free milk.

It would reduce demand for their products.

[Canuckistanian]

6. Why don't they use branding to advertise hormone-free milk?

For example, they could name a whole brand of milk "NorBist", meaning "No rBST".

The government couldn't force a brand name to change, could they?

[hootinholler]

7. Good! Now, about those mad cow tests... n/t