AlterNet: 'Frankenfoods' Giant Monsanto Plays Bully Over Consumer Labeling

[marmar]

'Frankenfoods' Giant Monsanto Plays Bully Over Consumer Labeling

By Scott Thill, AlterNet. Posted March 6, 2008.

Monsanto doesn't want consumers to know the truth about the milk they're drinking. The corporation's monopoly is at stake.



"There are some corporations that clearly are operating at a level that are disastrous for the general public … And in fact I suppose one could argue that in many respects a corporation of that sort is the prototypical psychopath, at the corporate level instead of the individual level."
--Dr. Robert Hare, The Corporation


Since 1901, Monsanto has brought us Agent Orange, PCBs, Terminator seeds and recombined milk, among other infamous products. But it's currently obsessed with the milk, or, more importantly, the milk labels, particularly those that read "rBST-free" or "rBGH-free." It's not the "BST" or "BGH" that bothers them so much; after all, bovine somatrophin, also known as bovine growth hormone, isn't exactly what the company is known for. Which is to say, it's naturally occurring. No, the problem is the "r" denoting "recombined." There's nothing natural about it. In fact, the science is increasingly pointing to the possibility that recombined milk is -- surprise! -- not as good for you as the real thing.

"Consumption of dairy products from cows treated with rbGH raise a number of health issues," explained Michael Hansen, a senior scientist for Consumers Union. "That includes increased antibiotic resistance, due to use of antibiotics to treat mastitis and other health problems, as well as increased levels of IGF-1, which has been linked to a range of cancers."

For its part, Monsanto is leaning on the crutch of terminology to derail the mounting threat to its bottom line: The consumer-driven revolution against recombined food. And so the St. Louis-based agri-chem giant has launched a war of words in the form of a full-court press to suppress the "rBGH-free" label at the state level. And it's sticking to its guns by obfuscating and indulging in cheap semantics.

"RBST is a supplement that helps the cow produce more milk," Monsanto spokesperson Lori Hoag explained to me via email. "It is injected into the cow, not into the milk. There is no way to test because the milk is absolutely the same. Neither the public nor a scientist can tell the difference in the milk because there is not a difference. Consumers absolutely have a right to know if there is a difference in foods they are buying. In this case, there simply is not a difference." ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/workplace/78660/

[Echo In Light]

1. Fox News Kills Monsanto Milk Story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axU9ngbTxKw

[SpiralHawk]

2. Republicon propaganda organ applauded for ongoing news distortion

By republicon homelander cronies.

Derided by Americans.

[Echo In Light]

3. Bump