Suit Challenges Safety Claims of Bovine Growth Hormones - Food and Drug Administration - Brief Article

Nutrition Health Review, Wntr, 2001

In October 1999, a suit was filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking removal of the genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) from the market, claiming that it poses a serious health risk to humans. The FDA published a review of the controversial hormone but concluded that rhGH produced no metabolic effect in humans and is therefore no cause for concern.

In approving rbGH, the FDA concluded that "wholesome milk" and genetically engineered milk were indistinguishable, said Robert Cohen, of Oradell, N.J., who filed the brief with the FDA.

In assessing the safety of the new milk, a Journal of the American Medical Association article supported that conclusion. The abstract of FDA's paper and studies cited within that publication support the conclusion that levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are increased in milk from rbGH-treated cows. Both rbGH and its genetically engineered version contain 191 amino acids. Human growth hormone also contains 191 amino acids, but the gene sequence between the two species differs by a factor of 35%.

In humans and cows, IGF-I contains 70 amino acids and the gene sequence is identical. IGF-I has been called a key factor in prostate cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer. New evidence published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association indicates that "serum IGF-I levels increased significantly in the milk group ... an increase of about 10% above baseline--but was unchanged in the control group.

(Cohen's suit is still pending.)