In Canada, the rBST growth hormone was forbidden on animal-welfare grounds, not for health reasons. Health Canada's position is that it has *no* negative impact on humans through milk or meat consumption. This falls squarely in line with the conclusions of other national and international health organizations.

In fact, Canadians have probably consumed milk from rBST-treated cows without knowing it. We import millions of kilograms of dairy products from the United States annually, and at least some of those imports were likely produced by hormone-treated cows.

But I have to congratulate Canadian dairy cartels for how they portray this. They've taken what is basically an animal-cruelty regulation, and used it to defend their market position, proudly proclaiming Canadian milk as hormone-free, with the implication that American milk is unsafe or dirty. This is dishonest, but it does seem to have struck a chord with some people.

Labels: moderation: safe