rBGH and Cheese

By Jenna Matthys, Wedge Cheese Buyer

Q. What is rBGH?

These initials stand for Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone. It is also known by other names as well, such as BST or Bovine Somatotropin. Nearly identical to the natural hormone cows produce, this synthetic hormone was developed by the Montsanto Corporation in 1994 in order to increase milk production in dairy cows.

Q. Is rBGH harmful to cows?

Debate on this question has raged since the introduction of rBGH to the dairy Industry. The FDA approved rBGH and does not believe that it has adverse effects. Some studies have linked rBGH use in cows to an increased percentage of painful bacterial infections, such as mastitis. These infections are generally treated with antibiotics.

Q. Is rBGH harmful to humans?

The FDA believes that there is no significant difference between milk treated with rBGH and those that have not been treated. Cows treated with rBGH produce milk with higher levels of IGF-1, or Insulin-like Growth Factor. IGF-1 has been linked to an increased risk of breast, prostate and colon cancer. While no conclusive link currently exists between the IGF-1 levels in cows and cancer in humans, the possibility of these health risks has led many countries to ban the use of rBGH: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and all the members of the European Union. Here at The Wedge, our certified organic Cheese Department is very concerned about the use of synthetic growth hormones in the milk supply; it's not the direction we want to go.

Q. If rBGH is potentially harmful, then why is The Wedge carrying cheese that might contain this synthetic hormone?

None of the cheese carried at The Wedge is made with milk containing rBGH, to our knowledge (see list below). But there is no way to test milk or milk products for rBGH, since the cows produce it naturally. So if a cheese is made on a large scale, and the producer has to get milk from a larger milk pool where the milk comes from numerous dairy farms within a community or communities, discerning the use of rBGH is nearly impossible.

Q. Are there any cheeses at The Wedge that are rBGH-free?

Organic cheeses are a great option, because organic standards dictate that no artificial ingredients, hormones or antibiotics may be used in dairy production. But do check out the list of available American cheeses below which make a direct claim to be rBGH-free, or which come from a country where rBGH use is banned.

Also, keep in mind that no such hormone exists in sheep's milk or goat's milk, so cheeses made from those milks are a great alternative.

The following Wedge cheese producers have stated they do not use rBGH in their milk:

• Bass Lake Cheese Factory (Colby-Jack and Smoked Colby)
• Boggy Meadow (Swiss, Smoked Swiss and Fiddlehead Tomme)
• Brunkow Cooperative (Pepper Jack, Jack, Raw Mild Cheddar, Raw Aged Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar Spread, Medium Cheddar, Garlic and Herb Cheddar and Medium Colby)
• Cabot Creamery (Vermont Cheddar)
• Calabro (Whole milk Mozzarella)
• Cascade Cheese Company (Smoked Provolone)
• Crave Brothers (Mascarpone and Les Freres)
• Eichtens (plain and smoked string, low fat gouda and chipotle gouda)
• Grafton Village Cheese Company (2 year and 4 year aged cheddar)
• Jasper Hill (Baley Hazen Blue and Constant Bliss)
• Maple Leaf (Smoked Gouda)
• Mozzarella Fresca (Ciligine Fresh Mozzarella and Whole Milk Ricotta)
• Odyssey (Greek-Style Feta Crumbles)
• Pastureland (medium Gouda, 12 month aged Gouda and Premium Cheddar)
• Uplands Cheese (Pleasant Ridge)
• Rogue Creamery (Oregonzola and Smokey Blue)
• Salemville (Amish Blue and Amish Gorgonzola)
• Shwarz y Weib Cheese (Harmony Blue and Shwarz y Weib Blue)
• Stillmeadow Farms (Medium, Horseradish, Salsa, Onion, Garlic and raw Milk Cheddar)
• Swiss Valley (Cream Cheese and Neufchetal)
• Tillamook (Smoked Cheddar and Kosher Cheddar Bars)