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The Report that Monsanto & Fox TV didn't want you to see! JoAnn

Guest

Dec 29, 2002 12:22 PST

The report that Monsanto and Fox TV

DIDN`T WANT YOU TO SEE!

 

 

Laura Lee News - The Mystery in Your Milk-

 

http://www.lauralee.com/news/mysterymilk.htm -

 

The Mystery in Your Milk

by Jane Akre & Steve Wilson

The report that Monsanto and Fox TV didn't want you to see. Published

for the first time.

 

Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, a respected reporting team at WTTV, a Fox

Network Station in Tampa, Florida, were fired from their jobs after

refusing

to broadcast what they knew and documented to be false and distorted

information about Monsanto's bovine growth hormone (BGH) -- a

geneticallyengineered product that has been linked to the

proliferation of breast,prostate, and colon cancer cells in humans.

 

On August 28, 2000, a Florida jury unanimously decided that Akre had

been fired for threatening to blow the whistle on Fox for pressuring

her and Wilson to broadcast a false, distorted and slanted news

report and awarded her $425,000 for lost wages and damages. Fox is

appealing.

 

This is the first time that the script that got the reporters in

trouble has appeared in print. This important document has been

edited for length but not censored. For the full version, go to the

website:

 

http://www.foxbghsuit.com

Reporters' Version - Part I

 

" Nature's most nearly perfect food " - that's how most of us have

alwaysthought of milk

wholesome, nutritious and pure just like it says on

some of the trucks that deliver it. But down on the farm where most

of us never see?

Some Florida farmers have been quietly squeezing more cash from their

cows by injecting them with an artificial growth hormone so they'll

produce more milk than nature intended.

 

Thurman Hattan, Florida Dairy Farmer: " Yes I would say, people in

Florida are using it. (Reporter Jane Akre) And you yourself? (Hatten)

Ahh.

 

Narration: Hatten is one of many Florida dairymen reluctant to admit

that they're injecting their cows every two weeks.

 

Hattan continues: " .it's possible I could be using it. "

Narration: The drug some Florida farmers don't want you to know

they're using is a Monsanto laboratory version of bovine growth

hormone known as BGH.

 

Here's how it works: when the cow gets injected with extra BGH, it

stimulates the production of another hormone called IGF-1.

That's really the stuff that speeds up the cow's metabolism, causing

her

to produce up to 30 percent more milk.

 

But some scientists like Dr. Samuel Epstein are warning what might be

good for the farmers' bottom line might be big trouble down the line

for

people drinking the milk from treated cows.

 

Samuel Epstein, Scientist, University of Illinois: " .there are highly

suggestive if not persuasive lines of evidence showing that

consumption of this milk poses risks of breast and colon cancer. "

 

Narration: Dr. Epstein is a scientist at the University of Illinois

School of Public Health. He's earned three medical degrees, written

eight books,

and is frequently called upon to advise Congress about things in our

environment which may cause cancer. He and others like Dr. William

von Meyer point to what they say is a growing body of scientific

evidence of a link between IGF-1 and human cancers which might not

show up for years to come.

 

William Von Meyer, Research Scientist: " We're going to save some

lives if we review this now. If we allow BGH to go on, I'm sure we're

taking excessive risks with society. "

 

Narration: Dr. Von Meyer has spent 30 years studying chemical

products and testing their effects on humans. He's supervised many

such

tests on thousands of animals at schools such as the University of

London and UCLA.

He's headed agricultural, chemical and genetic research at some of

America's most prestigious companies.

 

Monsanto is the giant chemical company which sells the synthetic

hormone under the brand name Posilac and Monsanto has consistently

rejected the concerns of scientists around the world.

 

Dr. Robert Collier, Chief Monsanto BGH Scientist: " In fact, the FDA

has commented several times on this issue after there were concerns

raised. They have publicly restated human safety confidence.this is

not

something knowledgeable people have concerns about. "

 

Narration: While other companies have dropped by the wayside,

Monsanto has invested a mountain of money into Bovine Growth Hormone.

 

Company sales tapes encourage farmers to use it as a tool to milk more

profits out of every cow.

 

Video Clip of Monsanto sales tape: " Of course you'll want to inject

Posilac into every eligible cow, as each cow not treated is a lost

income opportunity. "

 

Narration: A number of critics, including at least one state

agriculture commissioner, have called it " crack for cows " for the way

it speeds up the cow's milk production.but despite its promise of

profit, some dairymen say

the product doesn't always lead to happy trails for the cows or for

those who tend them.

 

Charles Knight, Florida Dairy Farmer: " It's a tool that can be used,

but you better be careful,

'cause it can burn you... "

 

Narration: Near Wachula, Charles Knight won't use Monsanto's

synthetic BGH anymore. He is one of many farmers who say they've

watched Posilac burntheir cows out sooner, shortening their lives by

maybe two years.

 

Narration: Knight says he had to replace 75 percent of his herd due

to hoof problems and serious udder infections. Those are two of more

than 20 potential troubles listed right on the product warning label.

But apart from potential suffering for the animals, the major concern

is how the hormone

injected into the cow changes the milk that ends up on our tables.

Robert Collier: " .this is the most studied molecule certainly in the

history of domestic animal science. "

 

Narration: While that claim may be open to dispute, Monsanto.did put

theproduct through a decade's worth of testing before it was approved

by the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine as an animal drug. But

that's part of the problem, according to many scientists who say

since BGH alters the milkwe drink, it should meet the higher safety

standards required of human

drugs. The critics say tests on BGH milk that could have answered

these concerns about long-term risk to humans were just never done.

 

Dr. William Von Meyer, Research Scientist: " A human drug requires two

yearsof carcinogenic testing and extensive birth-defect testing. BGH

was

tested for 90 days on 30 rats at any dose before it was approved. "

Robert Collier: " But suffice it to say the cancer experts don't see the

health issue and it's unfortunate the public is being scared by an

issuethat shouldn't be of concern. "

 

Narration: Monsanto's dairy research director points to what the FDA

hasrepeatedly said since the day it approved BGH back in 1993: " The

public canbe confident that milk and meat from BGH-treated cows is

safe to consume. " .

 

Part II

Narration: You won't find Ol' Flossie and Bossie on Fred Gore's dairy

farmin Zephyrhills. On Fred's farm, all the cows have numbers instead

of names -and they're watched by electronic eyes 24 hours a day.

 

Farmer Gore, Florida Dairy Farmer: " They help tell me if proper

proceduresare being followed. "

Narration: At a modern dairy farm, cows wear transponders that even

tell acomputer how much milk she gave today.

Farmer Gore: " She's giving 121 pounds a day. "

 

Narration: In the competitive business of dairy farming these days,

productivity is paramount. That's why Fred Gore and others like him

were allears when the giant Monsanto chemical company started

promoting its new product called Posilac.

 

Video Clip from Monsanto sales tape: " Posilac is the single most-

testedproduct in history and it helps increase your profit potential. "

 

Narration: Monsanto promised that Posilac - a laboratory version of

the cow's natural growth hormone - could get Ol' 2356 and her friends

to produceup to 30 percent more milk. That was good news to Florida

farmers who need all the help they can get in a state where high

heat, humidity and

littlelocal grain make dairy farming a struggle.

 

The " promise of Posilac " sounded great to dairyman Charles Knight.but

hesays it didn't turn out that way.

 

Charles Knight, Florida Dairy Farmer: " About the same time we began

having alot of foot problems with our cows because they got so

crippled theycouldn't walk. "

 

Narration: Right after he started using the drug on his herd near

Wachulathree years ago, Knight says his animals were plagued with

those problemsand serious infections of his cows' udders. Troubles he

attributes toPosilac eventually caused him to replace the majority of

his herd. He says

when he called dairy experts at the University of Florida and at

Monsanto,they both had the same response.

 

Farmer Knight: " [T]hey said you're the only person having this

problem so itmust be what you're doing here. You must be having

management problems. "

 

Narration: The University of Florida, by the way, did much of the

researchon BGH and has received millions in gifts and grants from

Monsanto. Knight

says neither the university nor the company ever mentioned Monsanto

researchthat showed hundreds of other cows on other farms were also

suffering hoof problems and mastitis, a painful infection of the

cow's udders.

 

Farmer Knight: If untreated, the infection can get into the cow's

milk so farmers try to cure it by giving the cow shots of

antibiotics.more drugsthat can find their way into the milk on your

table, which could make

your own body more resistant to antibiotics.

 

Dr. Michael Hanson, Consumers Union Scientist: " In fact, there is

over 60 drugs that they believe can be used on farms and they test

for a very small percentage of them.

 

File video of protesters chanting: " Boycott BGH. Boycott BGHS "

Collier: " There are no human or animal safety issues that would

preventapproval in Canada once they've completed their review, not

that I'm aware of. "

 

Narration: But long-term human safety is exactly the concern

expressed by aCanadian House committee on health. Here are the

minutes of a 1995 meeting

where members voted to ask Canada's Health Minister to try and keep

BGH off the market for at least two more years. Why? " .to allow

members of Parliament to further examine the human health

implications " of the drug.

 

It's still not legal to sell the unlicensed product north of the

border,despite the company's efforts to gain the approval of

government regulators.

 

Narration: In the Fall of 1994, Canadian television quoted a Canadian

health official as reporting Monsanto offered $1-2 million if her

governmentcommittee would recommend BGH approval in Canada without

further data or

studies of the drug. Another member of her committee who was present

when Monsanto made the offer was asked: " Was that a bribe? "

 

File Video Clip of CBC documentary - CBC Correspondent to committee

member:

" Is that how it struck you? (Dr. Edwards) Certainly! "

 

Reporter Jane Akre on camera: " Monsanto said the report alleging

bribery was " a blatant untruth, " that Canadian regulators just didn't

understand the offer of the money was for research. Monsanto demanded

a retraction. The Canadian Broadcasting Company stands by its

story... "

 

Hansen: " Monsanto has a very checkered history with some of its other

products. "

 

Narration: Dr. Michael Hansen of Consumers Union is another American

scientist still very skeptical about BGH. He says Monsanto was wrong

years ago when it convinced the government PCB's were safe. Those

were put inside electrical conductors for years.until researchers in

Japan

and Sweden showed

serious hazards to human health and the environment.

 

And you've heard of Agent Orange, 2-4-5-T, the defoliant used in

Vietnam?

 

Monsanto convinced the government it, too, was safe. It was later

proven to be extremely harmful to humans.and a government

investigator

found what shesaid was " a clear pattern of fraudulent content in

Monsanto's research " which led to approval.

 

In the case of BGH, Monsanto was required to promptly report all

complaints from farmers. Florida dairyman Charles Knight says he was

complaining loud and clear that Posilac was decimating his herd.but

four months later he found the company had not passed one of his

complaints to the FDA as required.

 

Charles Knight, Florida Dairyman: " .so how many more hundreds of

complaints out there sat and were not registered with FDA? "

 

Narration: Monsanto admits a long delay in reporting Knight's

complaints. A company spokesman claims despite a series of on-farm

visits and telephone

conversations with Knight, it took four months for them to understand

he was complaining about BGH. As for those safety claims for previous

Monsantoproducts that turned out to be dangerous, the company offered

no comment.

 

Part III

 

Narration: Whether you know it or not, by the time it's bottled,

chances are

milk from treated cows ends up in the jug you carry home. It's made

the milkon your table one of the first genetically engineered foods

ever to be fed to your family. and the population at large.

 

Jeff LeMaster, Consumer/Dad: " And for her, now that she's eating

people food,we want to give her as much good stuff without the

chemical additives as possible. "

 

Narration: Grocers and the dairy industry know synthetic BGH in milk

worries consumers like Jeff and Janet LeMaster. A whopping 74 percent

of those questioned in this University of Wisconsin study released

just last yearexpressed concern about unknown harmful human health

effects which might show up later.

 

Robert Collier, Chief Monsanto BGH Scientist: " What they need to know

is that the milk hasn't changed.... "

 

Narration: That's the assurance of Monsanto. It's the company

position,despite scientific studies which show the milk we're getting

from BGH-treated cows has a higher level of something called IGF-1, a

hormone believed to promote cancer.

 

Narration: Government regulators in Canada, New Zealand and all of

Europe have expressed similar concerns and refused to license the

drug for sale in all those countries.

 

File Video, consumer protesters chanting: " Boycott BGH! "

 

Narration: So three years ago when the drug was approved in America

andprotesters started dumping milk that contained the synthetic

hormone, yourgrocer and your milkman decided something had to be done

to protect sales.

Riley Hogan, Tampa Dairy Co-op: " For good business reasons, Publix [a

marketing chain] and I both wanted to avoid the use of the product

untilthere was public acceptance. "

 

Narration: Maybe you recall these media reports from 1994 when

Albertsons reassured Florida consumers " we will do our utmost to

ensure that (people)don't get it " in their milk. Publix issued

similar assurances.

 

The truth is, nobody ever did anything but go through the motions of

askingfarmers to keep BGH out of the milk supply.

 

And when we visited seven Central Florida dairy operations chosen at

random,how many were heeding the grocers' request? Not a one.

 

Albertsons acknowledged: " It is widely accepted in the industry that

mostall dairy farmers now use BGH " but " we do not know which or how

many dairies use it. " .

 

But not everybody's using it. Ben and Jerry, America's icons of ice

cream,don't want anything to do with it. and they're leading the

fight to give youa choice at the grocer's dairy case.

 

Part IV

Ben Cohen, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream: " A big part of the issue is that

consumers are well aware that what the FDA said was fine and healthy

10 and 20 years ago, the FDA is saying is really bad for you today.

 

Narration: It's one of the big reasons Ben and Jerry, makers of some

of America's favorite ice cream, are so opposed to farmers injecting

theirdairy cows with Bovine Growth Hormone genetically engineered in

a Monsanto chemical lab.

Narration: Our investigation has found only one dairy in Florida which

produces milk from cows not treated with BGH and what happened when

thefolks at the Golden Fleece dairy in Central Florida wanted to

label their products as synthetic BGH-free?

 

Well, first they say Commissioner Crawford's people strongly

discouraged it,but what really deterred them was a fear Monsanto -

the company which

makesthe hormone - would come after them in court.

 

Glen Norton, Golden Fleece Dairy: " From the information I heard and

read, Iwas afraid at some point that if we tried to do extra

labeling, thatMonsanto could cause damage to my small, fragile

business. "

 

Narration: Norton and others like him may have reason to be scared.

Rightafter Monsanto started marketing its BGH three years ago, a

number ofdairies that didn't use it began to label their products so

consumers would know.

 

Robert Collier: " In fact, there are quite a few co-ops that do just

that and we have not opposed that at all. "

 

Narration: But that's not true. Monsanto did file lawsuits against

two small dairies, forcing them to stop labeling. Then the company

spread the news with follow-up letters to other dairies that

apparently saw the writing onthe wall.and they also stopped.

 

The labels on Ben and Jerry's ice cream will soon be different, too.

Thelabel will also carry wording that says the FDA has said there is

nosignificant difference between milk from treated and untreated

cows - a claim some scientists sharply question.

 

That wording, by the way, was written by Michael Taylor, an attorney

who worked for Monsanto both before and after his time as an FDA

official.

 

Some dairy people say Ben and Jerry have jumped on the anti-BGH

bandwagon as just a way to sell more of their ice cream.

 

Ben Cohen: " The tremendous amount of chemicals that's used in

conventional agriculture is having a horrible effect on the

environment

and on the health of our citizens and our customers and you know,

(laugh), if you want to say is it our self-interest? Yeah!

We want to keep our customers alive.

They eat more ice cream when they're alive! "

 

Narration: As part of an effort to influence these reports, a lawyer

hired by Monsanto wrote a Fox television executive saying the

discussion of any

possible link between the use of synthetic BGH and cancer is " .the

most blatant form of scaremongering. "

 

In a second letter, he said Monsanto critics are in all probability

" scientifically incompetent. " He is referring to critics such as Dr.

SamuelEpstein at the University of Illinois School of Public Health.

Epstein has three medical degrees, he's the author of eight books,

and is frequently called to testify before Congress about the

environmental causes of cancer.

 

Like other BGH critics, Epstein contends it's just wrong to introduce

aproduct into the marketplace when there are so many important and

still-unresolved human health questions.

 

Samuel Epstein, Research Scientist: " We're living in the greatest

democracyin the world in many ways but in other ways were in a

corporate dictatorship in which big government and big industry

decide what information the consumer can and should have and it's the

objective of me and the Cancer Prevention Coalition to assure that

this information be made available and let the public decide.and let

grassroot citizens take over where government and industry has

failed. "

 

This is the first time that the script that got the reporters in

trouble has appeared in print. This important document has been

edited for length but not censored. For the full version, go to the

website:

 

http://www.foxbghsuit.com

Earth Island Journal - Summer 2001 Vol. 16 #2

 

 

If you are still drinking regular milk I would encourage you to

discontinue this practice as soon as possible. The growth hormone

issues discussed aboveare only one of the reasons why this should be

considered.

 

The major issue is the pasteurization of the milk which completely

changes the structure of the milk proteins (denaturization) into

something far less than healthy. Then, of course there is the issue

of the antibiotics and pesticides and the fact that nearly all

commercial dairy cows are raised on

grains, not grass, like they were designed to. This will change the

composition of the fats, especially the CLA content.

 

 

 

 

JoAnn Guest

jgu-

Friendsforhea-

DietaryTi-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Botanicals.html

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

*theaimcompanies*

-Wisdom of the past,Food of the future-

" Health is not a Medical Issue "

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