Post on 16-Dec-2015
transcript
Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)
• aka recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST), brand name Posilac©
• 10-15% of U.S. dairy cows injected with rBGH• Used to increase milk production by
cattle
rBGH
• Marketed primarily to large dairy farms (LDFs), which are supplanting small dairy farms
• LDFs have–Worse environmental impact records–Higher rates of workplace injuries–Contribute to decreasing agricultural
diversity
Effects of rBGH on Humans
• Serum IGF-1 levels increase 13% above baseline in individuals drinking milk from rBGH-treated cattle
• IGF-1 interacts with estrogens, androgens, and other growth promoters
• Milk is the food most associated with high IGF-1 levels
• IGF-1 not important in yogurt, since it is used as a food source by some of the bacteria responsible for yogurt production
Risks of rBGH
• IGF-1 is a suspected contributor to breast, prostate and GI cancers–Promotes cell division and reduces
apoptosis (preprogrammed cell death) in animals– Inhibits the ability of various anti-cancer
drugs to kill cultured human breast cancer cells
Risks of rBGH
• Along with pesticides, other endocrine disruptors, and obesity, IGF-1 may be partly responsible for earlier onset of puberty (9.9 yrs in 2006, compared with 10.9 years in 1991)
• Women who eat dairy products deliver twins at five times the rate of vegans
Risks of rBGH
• Children, who have more years of life to live and drink more milk (and more milk per body weight) than adults, are disproportionately affected
• Some evidence suggests rBGH milk being funneled to U.S. children through school lunch programs– Many school systems have gone rBGH-free
Harmful Effects of rBGH
• FDA: rBGH causes 16 different harmful conditions in cattle, including heat stress, hoof disorders, GI disturbances, birth disorders, ovarian and uterine problems, and mastitis–Antibiotic treatment of mastitis leads
to increased antibiotic resistance in cattle and humans
rBGH (Posilac©)
• Originally developed and marketed by Monsanto
• Sold to Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly, in 2008
Monsanto
• Agent Orange, PCBs, dioxins DDT• Largest producer of genetically-modified
seeds–Contamination events–Unethical experiments–Harassment of scientists
Monsanto
• Pesticide Roundup used in “War on Drugs” in Colombia
• Profitable• Member of corporate front groups
fighting food safety legislation/organizations
Monsanto
• Roger Beachy (long-time president of the Danforth Plant, Monsanto’s nonprofit arm) now chief of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, overseeing almost $500 million in grants and research funding
Monsanto
• Islam Siddiqui, VP at CropLife America (US branch of CropLife International, an agribusiness front group led by Monsanto and others) Obama’s Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the US Trade Representative’s Office
Eli Lilly
• Paid record-setting settlement of $1.42 billion to US Justice Department for illegally marketing Zyprexa to children and elderly for non-FDA approved indications
• Multiple other instances of illegal and unethical marketing
Eli Lilly
• Manufactures antibiotics used to treat mastitis
• Produces Gemzar (used to treat breast cancer)
Elanco
• Marketed diethylstilbestrol (DES) for almost 2 decades despite data showing link between DES exposure in mothers and clear cell vaginal cancers in offspring–Outlawed for human use in 1971–Banned for use in cattle in 1979
Elanco
• Manufactures ractopamine (Paylean), a beta agonist given to livestock for last 7-28 days of life to increase protein synthesis–OK’d by FDA, but banned in 160 nations–Can cause hyperactivity and muscle
breakdown–Dangerous for human consumption
Elanco
• 2009: Elanco paper, commissioned through PR company Porter-Novelli, authors paid by Elacno– Loaded with misinformation (see report and OR
pSR rebuttal on phsj website)
• Authors admit falsely claiming AMA and AAP endorsements for rBGH, misstate ACS’s neutral position
FDA Approval of rBGH
• OK’d for use by FDA in 1993; on market since 1994
• FDA official (and former Monsanto attorney) Michael Taylor oversaw process – became Monsanto VP after leaving FDA; now senior advisor to FDA Commissioner
FDA Approval of rBGH
• FDA relied on industry summary of internal tests
• GAO investigation:– Found 3 FDA employees involved in
decision had conflicts of interest and multiple ethics rules violations–Criticized sloppy, manipulative science, lack
of data on human health effects
rBGH Worldwide
• Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the European Union have banned rBGH• The Codex Alimentarius, the UN’s
main food safety body, has refused to certify rBGH as safe
Opposition to rBGH
• Humane Society• Animal Protection Institute• Humane Farming Association• Farm Sanctuary• ACS – no formal position (2009);
previously supported rBGH
rBGH Today
• All fluid milk products in Oregon now rBGH-free
• 55 of the top 100 U.S. dairies are now at least partially rBGH-free or have announced that they will be
• Starbucks’ (company-owned stores), Chipotle, 160 hospitals nationwide rBGH-free
Hormones in Beef
• Six steroid hormones routinely used in US beef production: estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, zeranol. melengestrol, trenbolone
• DES (linked to clear cell vaginal and cervical cancers used through 1979, even though banned for humans in 1971
Hormones in Beef
• Since 1988, use of steroids in cattle production illegal in Europe
• US government states hormone residues in beef from adult cattle pose no threat to human health–Endocrine Society, APHA, others
disagree
Other reproductive toxins/carcinogens
• Phthalates, bis-phenol A (BPA), pesticides (persistent organic pollutants)
• Body burden high (EWG)
• Nursing infants at top of food chain
Hormone-Related Diseases on the Rise
• Breast and prostate cancers• Thyroid disease• Obesity• Diabetes• Endometriosis• Uterine fibroids• Infertility
Hormones in the Food Supply
• Earlier onset of breast development and puberty in young girls
• Altered sex ratio (more girls, fewer boys)• Increasing cryptorchidism–Risk factor for testicular cancer
• Micropenis, hypospadias increasing
Pink Ribbon Campaigns
• Positive aspects:– Community of survivors– Fund raising– Research– Advocacy– $30 million raised per year through pink ribbon
campaigns
• Negative aspects: Pinkwashing
Pinkwashing
• Outgrowth of the transformation of corporate philanthropy in the 1980s and 1990s to "strategic philanthropy" and "cause-related marketing“
• No one owns the pink ribbon image or oversees its use
Pinkwashing
• Pink ribbon packaging can mean donations to breast cancer research–with or without cap–with or without use of coupon–ongoing or time-limited–or simply to raise awareness of breast
cancer
Pink Ribbons
• Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, Komen Foundation spend up to 25% of money raised on overhead
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month created by Astra Zeneca (manufacturer of tamoxifen)– AZ was a leading manufacturer of pesticides until
corporate reorganization in 2000
Pinkwashing
• "Consumption philanthropy" may dampen people's willingness to make direct charitable donations
• Pink ribbon products can be carcinogenic, production may involve labor and even human rights violations
Egregious Examples of Pinkwashing
• Cosmetics–teens use avg. 17 personal care
products/d–adults 12/d
• Yoplait – previously contained rBGH (now rBGH-free)
• Jingle Jugs
Cosmetics
• ACS's "Look Good...Feel Better" program provides 30,000 women per year with a free makeover and bag of makeup donated by the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Assn
• Cosmetics contain a number of environmental toxins– See Environmental Working Group website for
database of toxins in cosmetics
Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer
• Komen Foundation and American Cancer Society largely ignore environmental contributors to breast cancer
• ACS allocates less than 0.1% of its annual budget to environmental and occupational causes of cancer
Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer
• ACS “Excalibur Donors” ($100,000+/yr) include big Pharma and petrochemical, industrial waste, auto, cosmetic, and junk food companies
• 2010: ACS rejects President’s Cancer Panel Report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer,” which concluded that “the true environmental burden of environmentally-induced cancers has been grossly underestimated”
What Can You Do?
• Read the fine print when you buy pink Avoid bottled water - use a refillable stainless steel bottle
• Avoid milk products from rBGH-treated cattle• Eat organic, free-range beef if you are not
vegetarian• Do not microwave food in plastic containers
What Can You Do?
• Avoid cooking in non-stick pans and eating foods packaged with non-stick plastic
• Get recommended breast exams, mammograms
• Get angry at corporate malefactors for polluting the environment and food supply– e.g., GE-NY Presbyterian agreement
• Spread the word
Further Information
• Campaign for Safe Food, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility: http://www.oregonpsr.org/programs/campaignSafeFood.html
Contact Information
Public Health and Social Justice Website
http://www.publichealthandsocialjustice.org
http://www.phsj.org
martindonohoe@phsj.org