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Producers disagree over proposed changes in milk labeling"Do I use hormones in my cows?" asked Tim Iwig, owner of the Iwig Family Dairy in Tecumseh. "No, I don't, and I should be able to say that." TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)--Proposed changes in milk labels have Kansas producers at odds over whether the alterations are needed. The issue arose earlier this year, when legislators were considering a bill to prohibit producers from putting labels on milk saying it's free of artificial hormones. That means that the milk did not come from cows that were injected with rGBH, a growth hormone that increases milk production. Some producers want to say their milk contains no rGBH. Others see no need for it, saying the hormone occurs naturally. The Kansas Department of Agriculture is trying to find a middle ground by developing new labeling regulations. Agriculture officials have proposed allowing milk producers to continue stating on their bottles that the product is free of artificial hormones. But the department also would require the disclaimer that the milk isn't different from that produced by hormone-injected cows. A hearing is set for next week to get public comment. "We can live with it, but we wanted more," said Jim Reed, president of the Kansas Dairy Association, which supported a ban on any hormone-free labeling. Donn Teske, president of the Kansas Farmers Union, which opposes the change, said the regulations went too far. "It's not the worst thing, but where was the need?" he asked. "Where were the lawsuits? Who was complaining?" A bill similar to what agriculture officials are proposing failed to make it out of the Senate Agriculture Committee and is likely dead for the session. Supporters of the labeling restrictions say they are needed because the labels could be misleading, suggesting that the milk with the hormone is less safe. "Whether or not cows are injected, there is no way to prove that because both milks are identical," Reed said. Opponents to the legislative effort said it was a matter of consumer choice. "Do I use hormones in my cows?" asked Tim Iwig, owner of the Iwig Family Dairy in Tecumseh. "No, I don't, and I should be able to say that." The draft regulations were developed by the Kansas Department of Agriculture after the bill stalled, said spokeswoman Lisa Taylor. "We're advocates for choice," she said. "If a dairy producer wants to use rBGH, they should be able to, but we understand that consumers should have choice, too." The issue is part of a national push to restrict hormone-free labeling by American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology. The group is sponsored in part by Monsanto, Co., which manufactures the growth hormone. 5/12/08 Date: 5/8/08 Advertisement
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