|
Microbiology => Genetic Engineering => Bovine Somatotropin
Bovine Somatotropin
Bovine Somatotropin (BST), protein hormone that stimulates milk yields. It is produced in the pituitary gland of lactating dairy cows and can be manufactured in the laboratory.
Artificial BST is used by farmers to boost natural milk yields. It is injected under the cow's skin at regular intervals to extend the peak milk production period. Manufacturers of BST claim that it can increase milk yields by about 10 to 15 percent. It is impossible for laboratory technicians to distinguish between milk produced from cows stimulated by BST injections and that which is not.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is satisfied that the product poses no risk to consumers or to the dairy cattle themselves and approved the use of BST in November 1994. However, the safety and ethics of BST use are disputed by several consumer groups, which object to the production of milk using artificial stimulation. They claim that after a regular course of injections, cows show symptoms of production stress. Reanalysis of industry data by several scientists pointed to increased incidence of mastitis in BST-treated cows, but the results await corroboration. Similar concerns abroad prompted authorities in the European Commission to place a five-year moratorium on the licensing of BST in December 1994.
Back
|
