Kansas Governor Urged to Veto Milk Hormone Bill

The Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) has urged Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kansas) to veto a bill passed by the Kansas Legislature on April 3, 2009, that restricts U.S. dairies from labeling their milk products free from genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH or rbST). Sebelius, who is vying to become the new U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has until April 16 to veto the bill.

According to the consumer advocacy group, which claims milk from hormone-treated cows can cause cancer, companies such as Wal-Mart, Starbucks and Dannon, and more than half of the nation’s top 100 dairies have committed to stop using rbGH in some or all of their products. The Kansas legislation would require all manufacturers that sell rbGH-free products in the state, including national brands, to add a large disclaimer on their packages stating that the hormone does not change the quality of the milk. See responsibletechnology.org, April 6, 2009.