According to a Food Marketing Institute Survey, this response is typical of consumers nationwide. At the same time, the scientific experts that study and test the use of hormones and antibiotics in food animals are convinced that the health risks are small and that food produced from these animals is safe to eat. But consumers are still concerned and are asking if the use of these products in food production is a safe practice. When hormones are given to food animals, they gain weight faster while eating less. They can be slaughtered sooner.
Hormones also reduce the amount of fat in the meat.
The human body produces three of these hormones naturally, while two are synthetic in nature. This program prevents the sale of animals containing unacceptable levels of animal drugs, pesticides and other chemicals. The National Institutes of Health conducted an assessment of the use of rBST and it's effects on the health of cows, the nutritional value of the milk produced, and human health. The composition and nutritional value of milk from rBST-treated cows is essentially the same as milk from untreated cows. As currently used in the United States, meat and milk from rBST-treated cows are as safe as those from untreated cows.