Is rBST the same as rBGH?
Dear John, For years our milkman (Alta Dena Dairy) has been delivering “milk from cows not treated with rBST.” You mention rBGH in your book. What is the difference between these two? Thanks for a great book. Lucy Dear Lucy, Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST) is another name for recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). By whatever name it’s called, rBGH is a genetically engineered variant of the natural growth hormone produced by cows. For some time, natural bovine growth hormone (BGH) has been used to stimulate milk production in cows. The hormone was too expensive for widespread use, however, until Monsanto came up with a genetically altered hormone (called rBGH or rBST). This genetically engineered hormone, sold by Monsanto under the brand name Posilac, is now injected into more than a quarter of the cows in U.S. dairies. There is no controversy about whether rBGH increases milk production. It does. But there are other points of contention. For one thing, the need for the techn
