Cyndi's Two Cents

Instilling fear in the consumer

Commentary.

Few dairy farmers in the United States use recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST, to prolong a cow’s lactation cycle.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration deemed it safe and approved the use of the bST product with the brand name “Posilac” in 1993.

The product safety review of rBST on the FDA website states:

“A key factor in FDA’s determination that milk and meat from cows treated with Posilac® is safe for humans to eat is that bST is a large protein. When they are eaten, proteins are broken down by digestive enzymes in the human gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, even if it was injected, the human body doesn’t recognize bST because its structure is significantly different from the somatotropin produced in the human pituitary gland. Posilac® has a zero-day withdrawal. This means that the milk and meat from cows is safe for humans to eat at any time after the animal is treated with Posilac®. Numerous international health and food safety organizations and many national regulatory agencies have confirmed the safety of milk and meat from bST-treated cows for human consumption.” 

Although the hormone is naturally present in milk, opposition to its use became fierce. Groups like Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) claimed use of rBST may have significant welfare repercussions on cows.  Some consumer groups voiced concern about added hormones in their food. Manufacturers began charging more for milk from cows that were not treated with rBST.  Sales in the United States plummeted.  Elanco Animal Health sold its Posilac business to Union Agener, one of Brazil’s largest animal health companies last year. Posilac is approved for sale in Brazil and 14 Latin and South American countries.

Very few dairies in the U.S. use Posilac today.  Thus, my frustration with Kraft Heinz Company for investing in a commercial suggesting a link between rBST and the development of adolescents.  During a break in one of my favorite television programs, I heard a teen girl’s voice come through the speaker:

For the most part, it’s the end of an era for rBST use in this country.  Fear, ignorance and misinformation created an environment that would not accept its widespread use.

“Mom, he’s blinking too loud!”

I watched the scene play out.  She was talking about her brother.

Then the announcer’s voice:

“You don’t need any more hormones in your house.  That’s why you chose Kraft Natural Cheese, made with fresh milk without the added hormone rbST.”

In faint letters at the very end of the commercial in the lower third of the screen is the disclaimer: No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbST-treated and non-rbST-treated cows.

Kraft Heinz is the third-largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifth-largest in the world with $26.26 billion in annual sales last year.  I buy Velveeta cheese, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Planters Peanuts, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, Ore-Ida Tater Tots, Baker’s Chocolate, Classico spaghetti sauce, Kool-Aid and much more from this company.  Why choose to subtly instill fear in consumers to sell your product when you sell some pretty great products?

Shame on you.

Marketing is good.  Lying is not.