Dr. Jim Diamond's comments are just one example of the excellent work he has
done for the Sierra Club national Genetic Engineering Committee (GEC). Jim is
now chair of the GEC.

Tom Mathews,
Voting Member, Sierra Club GEC

Subj:    Monsanto, hormones and arrogance
Date:   03-07-09 15:46:14 EDT
From:   [log in to unmask] (Jim Diamond)
Sender: [log in to unmask] (Biotech Forum)
Reply-to:   [log in to unmask] (Biotech Forum)
To: [log in to unmask]

       Monsanto's legal department was seen flexing its muscles the other
day:

Monsanto sues Oakhurst Dairy over advertising, labeling
PORTLAND, Maine
The Associated Press., July 8, 2003

Oakhurst Dairy Inc. is being sued by Monsanto Co., which alleges that
Oakhurst's marketing campaign that touts its milk as being free of
artificial growth hormones is misleading.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, demands that Oakhurst
stop advertising that it doesn't sell milk from hormone-treated cows. It
also asks that the dairy stop putting labels on its milk containers reading
"Our Farmers' Pledge: No Artificial Growth Hormones."

Monsanto officials said Oakhurst's ads and labels are deceptive and
disparage Monsanto's products with the inference that milk from untreated
cows is better than milk from hormone-treated cows.

. . .

Monsanto spokesman Lee Quarles said Monsanto has not filed similar lawsuits
against other dairies, but wouldn't say whether more were planned. Monsanto
filed similar suits against two dairies in Illinois about 10 years ago, and
both were settled out of court under confidential terms, he said.

. . .

Earlier this year, Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe rejected a request
from Monsanto that Maine abandon its Quality Trademark Seal program that
indicates when milk is free of artificial growth hormones.

Monsanto argued that the seal, which was adopted in 1994, misleads
consumers into thinking that hormone-free milk is superior to milk using an
artificial growth hormone.

COMMENT: Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) has the effect of making
cows produce more milk.  They cows have more udder infections, need more
antibiotics, and have other health problems related to the hormone imbalance
such as
painful hooves.  On the grounds of animal welfare alone, without considering
the impacts on human health, it's reasonable to chose milk from cows which
aren't being injected with this genetically engineered product.  However it's
been
concerns about human health which have led to banning rBGH treated milk in
Canada and the EU.

Milk from rBGH treated cows has more of a growth factor called IGF-1.  Humans
as well as cows produce IGF-1 but there is concern that getting extra IGF-1
may be harmful.  This growth factor has been shown to encourage the growth of
breast, prostate and colon cancers.  With what we know today, it's entirely
reasonable for an intelligent person to wish to limit dietary intake of IGF-1
and
therefore to chose milk from cows which weren't hormone treated.

Monsanto's legal department isn't being used to defend itself from unfair
business practices; their position is more like, "I know what's good for you.
You'll eat what's on the table.  Shut up or I'll smack you."  They do have
clout
-- the Secretary of Agriculture worked for them (and some would point out
that she still does).  Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas worked for them.
Let's all do what we can to help fight these bullies.


Jim Diamond, M.D.
Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Committee (chair)
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