 |
- rBGH adds cancer risks to American
milk
- No labeling of rBGH required on U.
S. milk containers
European
Scientific Committee Warns of Serious Risks of Breast and Prostate
Cancer from Monsanto's Hormonal Milk.
Press
Release March 21, 99
The European Commission (EC) has just released a report by its authoritative
international 16-member scientific committee, based on meticulous
scientific documentation, confirming excess levels of the naturally
occurring Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) in milk of cows injected
with Monsanto's biotech hormone (rBGH). The report concludes that
the excess levels of IGF-1 pose serious risks of breast
and prostate cancer. "Experimental evidence for an
association between IGF-1 and breast and prostate cancer
is supported by epidemiological -- evidence arising from recently
published cohort studies -- ." The report also warns that excess
levels of IGF-1 may promote the growth and invasiveness of any cancer
by inhibiting programmed self-destruction of cancer cells (apoptosis),
and that contamination of milk with residues of antibiotics used
to treat mastitis in rBGH cows is likely to spread antibiotic resistant
infections in the general population. The EC human health report
finally emphasized the need for additional investigation of several
other potential risks of rBGH milk. A parallel EC report also warns
of serious veterinary risks of rBGH. It may be noted that FDA has
ignored such evidence reported in detail by the author in peer reviewed
scientific publications over the last decade. The EC warnings are
in sharp conflict with the policies of the Food and Drug Administration,
largely based on unpublished and confidential Monsanto claims, that
hormonal milk is safe. As seriously, the report raises serious questions
on the competence and conflicts of interest of Codex, the WHO organization
responsible for setting international food safety standards, which
has given an unqualified clean bill of health to rBGH milk. It should
further be emphasized that senior FDA officials and industry consultants
are members of Codex, which meets in secrecy and relies on unpublished
industry assurances of safety. Interlocking relationships between
U.S. and Canadian regulatory officials and Codex are matters of
critical concern to U.S. consumers and global food safety.
Faced with escalating rates of breast
and prostate cancers, besides other avoidable public health hazards, FDA should
immediately withdraw
its approval of rBGH milk whose sale benefits only Monsanto while
posing major public health risks for the entire U.S. population.
A Congressional investigation of
FDA's abdication of responsibility and of its reliance on Codex
authority for food safety, analogous to that recently conducted
on rBGH milk by the Canadian Parliament, is well overdue.
CONTACT:
Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.
Cancer Prevention Coalition
c/o University of Illinois at Chicago
School of Public Health, MC 922
2121 W. Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60612
|
