rbST – The Truth About Monsanto
With the controversy surrounding the labeling of GMOs, a name that’s getting a lot of attention is Monsanto (the same company responsible for rbST). Monsanto is currently running a large ad campaign trying to discourage the labeling GMOs, touting them as safe. I will be following up this post next week with a post about GMOs themselves, but for now let’s take a closer look at the Monsanto company itself.
GMO labeling is not the first time Monsanto has tried to put profits before people. The following is an essay I wrote 14 years ago about the approval of rbST, and it still has very pertinent information concerning the sleazy Monsanto company.
rbST – really bad STuff
Monsanto would have you believe that bovine hormone rbST or rBGH is safe. It is a hormone that was developed to force cows to provide more milk. The truth, however, is that Monsanto bribed people to ignore certain studies so the public would buy products with rbST, believing it was safe. This hormone is actually dangerous and disease causing and was only approved because big companies like Monsanto have connections.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved rbST in 1993. Supposedly rbST had gone through all the necessary testing to prove it was safe. However, rbST is not quite as safe as Monsanto and the FDA claim. The European Union Scientific Committee found some serious health risks connected with products containing rbST, such as increase in certain cancers and tumor growth in people. The Health Canada study found that cows treated with rbST are prone to leg ailments, shorter lives, reproductive problems and mastitis.
To ensure approval of rbST, Monsanto concealed information and bribed people to withhold their knowledge of rbST’s dangers. Case in point, Monsanto had to perform a study on rats before the drug could be approved. A regulation cancer test mandates a drug be tested for two years on hundreds of rats. Monsanto’s hormone was tested on only thirty rats for ninety days.
The results of Monsanto’s rat study, as reported to the public, were fabricated, saying that rbST was safe. In actuality, Monsanto found that even during the short ninety-day test period, male rats developed thyroid cysts and showed prostate disorders. Monsanto never conducted the full, two-year cancer tests, but the FDA approved rbST anyway.
Why would the FDA approve a drug that had not been properly tested? The answer is the old adage, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Monsanto was set to make a fortune from rbST, so they used their powerful connections to ensure its approval.
Monsanto’s influence with Tony Coehlo on the Democratic National Committee persuaded Mike Espy, the Agricultural Secretary at that time, to favor Monsanto. Also some Monsanto workers resigned from their jobs and commenced working for the FDA to help guarantee the approval of rbST. After rbST had been approved, those workers quit working for the FDA and resumed their jobs as Monsanto.
In effort to have rbST approved in Canada, Monsanto offered a bribe of two million dollars to Canadian government officials, but rbST was not approved. Furthermore, Monsanto even tried to “buy” veterinarians. Some veterinarians received “kickbacks” when they encouraged the used of rbST.
After all the dangers that had been found with rbST the FDA still approved the drug as safe. The FDA is a subsidiary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Could it also be a coincidence that the same USDA (a tax-funded agency) receives a five-percent kickback on sales Monsanto’s sterile seeds?
With all the covert information that was twisted, and considering all the people that used their positions or were bought, is rbST really safe?
Disclaimer:
The information provided on this website is merely opinion. I am not a medical doctor or a scientist and this information should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your own doctor for medical advice. The information on this website is intended for informational purposes only. The information on this website should not be used for treatment or medical diagnosis. Always seek professional medical advice from your doctor before beginning any new practices.
Copyright © Amber Reifsteck ~ The Woodland Elf
The information provided on this website is for general information purposes only. If you choose to rely on the information on this website, you do so at your own risk and you assume responsibility for the results. (Full disclaimer here)
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