U.S. President Donald Trump wants to force American milk on Canadian consumers. This means that, in addition to already being denatured by pasteurization and homogenization to extend shelf life, the public milk supply is also now in danger of being mixed with and contaminated by American milk from cows injected with the genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH).
This growth hormone, which causes cows to produce up to 20 per cent more milk, also stimulates the liver to increase IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) levels in milk. IGF-1 is the same in humans and cows, and is not destroyed by pasteurization. In fact, the pasteurization process actually increases IGF-1 levels in milk.
Excess levels of IGF-1 is linked to human cancer (breast, colon, prostate) development. For this reason and others (like reduction of herd health through more mastitis and lameness, necessitating more antibiotics which then make their way into the milk contributing to antibiotic resistance in people) Canada, Australia, New Zealand, European nations and other countries around the world, including Japan and Israel, have all banned rBGH to protect citizens (and cows) from its hazards.
If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is foolish enough to tamper with the supply-management system governing Canadian milk production by allowing American fluid milk to enter our country, then labels need to alert consumers to this genetically engineered growth hormone and American milk should not, in any way, be mixed with our own.
Besides, if American dairy farmers would simply stop using rBGH, then they wouldn’t have so much excess of milk to deal with.
Werner Broschinski
Princeton
Killer country
This potential trade war with Canada is yet another example of America’s economic insanity and Canada’s putting profits above the health of their own citizens.
In America, because women are second-class citizens and corporations and the rich are first-class citizens, we allow dairy corporations to give hormones to cattle that cause them to produce more milk. This hormone is also known to cause women to get breast cancer. This type of milk is already banned in all countries that care about the health of their women citizens.
Surplus milk has long been a problem. The government used to buy the surplus and store it, but during the Reagan presidency, hunger striker Mitch Snyder forced them to distribute some to the poor. Giving food to the poor goes against our real principles so some other solution had to be found — beside of course not giving cattle hormones.
I think the solution for Canada is to keep its ban on milk containing hormones.
America is the parasite here and a parasite is intent on killing its hosts, itself and the planet.
Robert Pierson
Channelview, Texas
Brantford Expositor 2017 ©
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2017/05/01/no-to-mixing-american-and-canadian-milk