Nexus - 0804 - New Times Magazine-pages

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PART Il Congress and, more recently, an important group of food safety experts from around the world have raised this very concern relat- ed to the use of Monsanto's drug. Even the Posilac label warns: "...use of Posilac is associated with increased frequency of the use of medication in cows for mastitis..." Citing thorough study of the product both before and after approval by the FDA, Monsanto insists there are safeguards in place to detect any poten- tial problem with antibiotics in the milk. Dr Collier: Not only is every tank truckload tested, but a sam- ple is taken from every bulk tank; that way, if a truck is found to be contaminated, you have to be able to identify which farm it came from. Narration 8: At the Tampa Dairy Co-op, checks are routine but Co-op officials admit the testing is just not thorough enough to detect the many antibiotics a farmer could use. More complete checks are done by a few grocers and by the state, but only on a spot basis. Dr Hansen: In fact, there are over 60 drugs that they believe can be used on farms, and they test for a very small percentage of them. File video of consumer protestors chanting: Boycott BGH, boycott BGH... Narration 9: Demonstrations against the product when it was approved three years ago showed Americans were not very sup- portive of injecting dairy cows with synthetic growth hormones. This University of Wisconsin study conducted just last year says 74% of consumers are worried about unknown harmful human health effects of BGH, which might not show up until later. And outside the US, officials in other countries also remain sceptical. The potential long-term human health effects is the bottom line to the series as a whole. The important concern this series investigates is the suspected link between long-term human consumption of BGH milk and the potential development of cancer. Nevertheless, reporters were repeatedly instructed to camouflage concerns about cancer by not using the word in any script after an initial reference in Part I and substituting “human health implications" as a euphemism, one which most viewers would not link to cancer. This deliberately misleads viewers by omission, depriving them of information which would let them judge for themselves the seriousness of concern stated by responsible - ---o---- - Sound: (Cow in field) Moooo! experts from ‘around the world have 1 d this very concern 1 relat- Narration 1: You won't find Ol’ Flossie and Bossie on Fred ed to the use of Monsanto's drug. Even the Posilac label warns: Gore's dairy farm in Zephyr Hills. On Fred's farm, all the cows "...use of Posilac i iated with increased frequency of the have numbers instead of names—and they're watched by use of medication in cows for mastitis..." Citing thorough study electronic eyes, 24 hours a day. of the product both before and after approval by the FDA, Fred Gore, Florida Dairy Farmer: ...they help tell me if | Monsanto insists there are safeguards in place to detect any poten- proper procedures are being followed. tial problem with antibiotics in the milk. Narration 2: Ata modern dairy farm, cows wear transponders Dr Collier: Not only is every tank truckload tested, but a sam- that even tell a computer how much milk they gave today. ple is taken from every bulk tank; that way, if a truck is found to Farmer Gore: She's giving 121 pounds a day. be contaminated, you have to be able to identify which farm it Narration 3: In the competitive business of dairy farming came from. these days, productivity is paramount. That's why Fred Gore and Narration 8: At the Tampa Dairy Co-op, checks are routine others like him were all ears when the giant Monsanto chemical but Co-op officials admit the testing is just not thorough enough company started promoting its new product called Posilac. to detect the many antibiotics a farmer could use. More complete Clip from Monsanto sales tape: Posilac is the single most- checks are done by a few grocers and by the state, but only on a tested product in history and it helps increase your profit spot basis. potential. Dr Hansen: In fact, there are over 60 drugs that they believe Narration 4: Monsanto promised that Posilac—a laboratory can be used on farms, and they test for a very small percentage of version of the cow's natural growth hormone—could get Ol' 2356 them. and her friends to produce up to 30% more milk. That was good File video of consumer protestors chanting: Boycott BGH, news to Florida farmers, who need all the help they can get in a boycott BGH... state where high heat, humidity and little local grain make dairy Narration 9: Demonstrations against the product when it was farming a struggle. The "promise of Posilac" sounded great to approved three years ago showed Americans were not very sup- dairyman Charles Knight...but he says it didn't turn out that way. portive of injecting dairy cows with synthetic growth hormones. Charles Knight, Florida Dairy Farmer: About the same This University of Wisconsin study conducted just last year says time, we began having a lot of foot problems with our cows...they 74% of consumers are worried about unknown harmful human got so crippled they couldn't walk. health effects of BGH, which might not show up until later. And Narration 5: Right after he started using the drug on his herd outside the US, officials in other countries also remain sceptical. near Wachula three years ago, Knight says his animals were The potential long-term human health effects is the bottom plagued with those problems and serious infections of their line to the series as a whole. The important concern this series udders. Troubles he attributes to Posilac eventually caused him to _ investigates is the suspected link between long-term human replace the majority of his herd. He says that when he called consumption of BGH milk and the potential development of dairy experts at the University of Florida and at Monsanto, they cancer. Nevertheless, reporters were repeatedly instructed to both had the same response. camouflage concerns about cancer by not using the word in Farmer Knight: It was, like, overwhelming because they said, any script after an initial reference in Part I and substituting "You're the only person having this problem, so it must be what "human health implications" as a euphemism, one which you're doing here; you must be having management problems." most viewers would not link to cancer. Narration 6: The University of Florida, by the way, did much This deliberately misleads viewers by omission, depriving of the research on BGH and has received millions in gifts and them of information which would let them judge for grants from Monsanto. Knight says neither the university nor the themselves the seriousness of concern stated by responsible company ever mentioned Monsanto research that showed hundreds of other cows on other farms were also suffering THIS Year's hoof problems and mastitis, a painful infec- Fou ey rus tion of the cow's udders. If untreated, the infection can get into the cow's milk, so farmers try to cure it by giving the cow shots of antibiotics...more drugs that can find their way into the milk on your table, which could make your own body more resistant to antibiotics. Dr Michael Hansen, Scientist, Consumers Union: So for example, if you drank milk that had residues of ery- thromycin in it, then bacteria in your stom- ach could pick up resistance to that ery- thromycin, so that if you came down with an illness you wouldn't be able to use ery- thromycin to treat it. Narration 7: Dr Michael Hansen, a sci- entist with Consumers Union, is not alone in his concern. The investigative arm of ais Year's ‘ELU VIRUS 1S A_BAD ONE. JUNE — JULY 2001 NEXUS 25 www.nexusmagazine.com