Hormonal Milk and Meat: A Dangerous Public Health Risk

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Hormonal Milk and Meat: A Dangerous Public Health Risk

Dr. Samuel Epstein

Sunday, May 23, 2010

As reported in a March 18, New York Times editorial, "Honest Food Labels," FDA Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, M.D., publicized letters to 17 food companies accusing them of -- "masking undesirable ingredients" -- in their products. She also emphasized the importance of "providing nutrition information that consumers can rely on." Unfortunately, she has failed to take any such action with regard to the two major dietary staples, milk and meat.

About 20 percent of our milk is genetically engineered, technically known as rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone), which contains high levels of a natural growth factor known as IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor one). This survives digestion and is readily absorbed from the small intestine into the blood. Increased levels of IGF-1 have been shown to increase risks of breast cancer in 19 scientific publications, risks of colon cancer in 10 publications, and prostate cancer in seven publications. Of further concern, increased IGF-1 levels block natural defense mechanisms against early microscopic cancers, known as apoptosis.

It should further be noted the scientific evidence for the dangers of rBGH milk is dealt with in detail in my 2006 book, What's In Your Milk? supported by approximately 200 scientific references. Endorsers of the book include Representative John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Quentin D. Young, Chairman of the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group and Public Health Advocate, State of Illinois.

Based on these concerns, on June 3, 1999, the United Nations Food Safety Agency, representing 101 nations worldwide, ruled unanimously not to endorse or set safety standards for rBGH milk. Effectively, this has resulted in an international ban on US milk.

Also based on these concerns, the Cancer Prevention Coalition, endorsed by five leading national experts, petitioned the FDA in May 2007 to label rBGH milk with an explicit cancer warnings. In the absence of any response, we resubmitted this petition in January 2010 to Dr. Hamburg, and are waiting for a response.

US cattle are implanted with natural or synthetic sex hormones prior to entering feed lots 100 days prior to slaughter in order to increase their meat yield. Not surprisingly, our meat is contaminated with high levels of sex hormones. Based on these concerns, and as warned by the Cancer Prevention Coalition and five leading national experts, our meat poses increased risks of hormonal cancers, which have escalated since 1975: breast by 23 percent, prostate by 60 percent, and testis by 60 percent. Not surprisingly, US meat is banned worldwide.
Furthermore, as clearly evidenced in a series of General Accounting Office investigations and Congressional hearings, the FDA, besides the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), have failed to take any regulatory action to protect the public from the dangers of hormonal meat. A 1986 report, "Human Food Safety and Regulation of Animal Drugs," unanimously approved by the House Committee on Government Operations, concluded that the "FDA has consistently disregarded its responsibility -- has repeatedly put what it perceives are interests of veterinarians and the livestock industry ahead of its legal obligation to protect consumers -- jeopardizing the health and safety of consumers meat, milk, and poultry."

In response to questions on the dangers of hormonal meat raised by the European Commission in February 1996, the USDA responded with unsubstantiated claims that less than 0.25 percent of animals tested annually proved positive for "residue violations." In fact, meat has not been and is still not monitored for sex hormone levels by the USDA or FDA.

Together with other leading scientific experts, on January 29, 2010, the Cancer Prevention Coalition submitted a Citizens Petition to the FDA on the "Imminent health Hazard" from hormonal meat, supported by 59 scientific references. We are waiting for a response.

Not surprisingly, U.S. milk and meat are banned in some leading countries.

Healthy Child is pleased to announce our newest Advisory Board Member, Dr. Samuel Epstein. We look forward to many more engaging and informative articles!

Posted by Leslie on 12/11/2011 at 09:00 AM

I think the hormones in the meat are making us fat! I stopped eating it all together and have less issues with my weight.

Posted by goal setting on 07/29/2011 at 06:22 PM

Thanks for posting this. I had no idea that that combination of two things could be so bad for the public! So thanks for the heads up!

Posted by florida insurance on 07/11/2011 at 10:39 AM

Thanks a bunch for this great blog. Having a baby soon so great resource.

Posted by Paint Sprayer on 06/22/2011 at 06:48 AM

so what brands of milk and meat are safe? if the package says organic or “not treated with rBGH” is it free of the sex hormones? what about antibiotics?

Posted by breitling on 06/13/2011 at 11:15 AM

My beliefs are no better than anyone else’s. The only difference is I do not attempt to force others to hold my beliefs and I DO NOT attempt to legislate my beliefs at the expense of others. There is no hypocrisy here, as far as I can tell.

Posted by how to get pregnant on 05/29/2011 at 11:50 AM

Thank you so much for all the good work you doing in keeping us healthy and working toward safe products for us and our families

Read more: http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/hormonal_milk_and_meat_a_dangerous_public_health_risk#ixzz1NzrIKjIn

Posted by mp4toavi on 05/27/2011 at 03:55 AM

thanks for this. I think the use of hormonal milk and meat is not limited to the United States alone as many other countries also make this and provide it to the common people.

Posted by BytesLand on 04/15/2011 at 05:23 AM

If you “knew” for sure that all the additives to foods were potential killers you would stop buying them. Look around the next time you are at an elementary school. Take note of the number of developing eight and nine year old girls. Consider the hormone laced milk, dairy products and meat they eat. Is there a connection? We can’t control what’s in the air we breath (although we can try to change that too), but we can control what we eat. Smaller portions of (yes) more expensive meat and dairy products, more pesticide free produce could be just the ticket!

Posted by physician jobs on 02/03/2011 at 12:31 AM

Well, I think the use of hormonal milk and meat is not limited to the United States alone as many other countries also make this and provide it to the common people. This has led to many health problems which extends upto cancer. The fact that excess IGF-1 could cause cancers are something many people are not yet made aware of and the constant consumption of hormone contaminated meat has also jeopardized the health of many people in the United States! I think the USDA and FDA should take this issue seriously!

Posted by anonymous on 01/09/2011 at 01:25 PM

company Eli Lilly is now a big seller of rbgh

Posted by Liz on 06/15/2010 at 02:26 PM

This was a very informative article. Thank you for shedding more light on this issue and as consumers we need to keep the pressure on our gov’t to tighten regulations. Unfortunately, our government is more concerned in protecting it’s big corporations instead of it’s citizens.

Posted by Lubov Zabela on 06/05/2010 at 09:43 AM

This is a great article! Who knew our food was this contaminated. It’s good to know that some people actually care. Thank you Healthy Child Healthy Healthy World!

Posted by Liz Sudman on 06/04/2010 at 05:41 PM

look into raw milk, or grass fed beef. Thank you so much for spreading the word on the fact that as american’s, we need to have higher standards for what we are eating , and what we are feeding our children. We are being brainwashed by cunning marketing campaigns into thinking that all is well. Meanwhile our children are entering puberty way too young from all of the chemicals in our food supply. Butter is better, if it has more than 5 ingredients, and you can’t pronounce it, then don’t eat it! Shop the outside aisles at the grocery, and buy organic when you can afford it. It is cheaper than healthcare when we eat a substandard diet, and have to run to the dr. all the time.

Posted by Melanie Sullivan on 06/04/2010 at 06:59 AM

Thank you so much for all the good work you doing in keeping us healthy and working toward safe products for us and our families.

Posted by Frustrated on 06/03/2010 at 01:18 PM

so what brands of milk and meat are safe? if the package says organic or “not treated with rBGH” is it free of the sex hormones? what about antibiotics?

Posted by Viktoria on 06/03/2010 at 12:54 PM

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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