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African-American Organization Urges FDA to Stop Deceptive Marketing of 'No rBST Milk'
NOAAH: Low-Income Consumers Needlessly Paying More for Identical Milk
AfricanAmericanTimes.net
Kevin Marchman
December 14, 2006
Excerpt...
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Organization for African Americans in Housing (NOAAH), a non-profit advocate for low-income citizens, has called on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to stop dairy processors from deceptively marketing “no rBST” milk, which is identical to other milk but costs more.
In a letter to the FDA, NOAAH Board Secretary Kevin Marchman said the milk processors making these claims are presenting low-income consumers with a horrible choice: spend limited food money on higher-priced milk that is identical to less expensive products, or serve their families milk which they believe to be lower in quality and less safe than what others can afford.
“We worry that low-income consumers -- fearing ‘hormones in milk’ but unable to afford the more expensive “rBST free” products -- will stop drinking milk altogether and opt for less-healthy alternatives,” Marchman wrote.
For more than a decade, dairy farmers have been using rBST to increase the amount of milk that their cows provide. Experts say there is no difference between “rBST-free milk” and milk from cows given rBST.
Some milk processors, however, recently have begun selling – and charging significantly more for – “rBST-free milk,” Marchman said.
“The expressed position of the Food & Drug Administration and many other government and independent organizations is that milk from cows given rBST is no different than milk from cows not given this hormone,” Marchman wrote. “Yet companies advertising ‘no hormone’ milk are charging as much as a dollar more per carton — an outrageous act given that they are clearly attempting to get consumers, including low-income people with limited resources, to pay more for something that is of no more nutritional value – or safer -- than milk that costs less.
“Not only does this deceptive practice impose a needless financial burden on low-income consumers, it is generating unnecessary confusion and anxiety,” Marchman added. “It presents a very unwelcome dilemma for our constituency: either pay more for safe milk, or buy what you can afford and risk ‘hormones in your milk.’”
Marchman is urging the FDA to put a halt to the “deceptive” practice, saying that it “cheats consumers and raises unwarranted fears.”
“On behalf of NOAAH and its members, I strongly encourage the agency to exercise its regulatory authority in taking strong action against dairy processors that are putting profits over people, and scaring consumers about a product so essential to the health of low-income America,” he wrote.
The National Organization of African Americans in Housing (NOAAH) is a non-profit organization that provides technical, operational and moral support to its members and offers opportunities for professional skills enhancement, resident training, and economic development...
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LETTER
Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
Email: andrew.voneschenbach@fda.hhs.gov
Address:
5600 Fishers Lane
Mail Stop: HF-1, Room 14101
Rockville, Maryland 20857
FAX: 301-443-3100
Dear Dr. von Eschenbach:
I am the Board Secretary of the National Organization of African-Americans in Housing (NOAAH), a national organization of public housing officials and a leading advocate for affordable housing. One of our organization’s top priorities is assuring that low-income citizens, especially African-Americans and other people of color, have affordable access to a nutritious food supply, and the information they need to make wise dietary decisions.
As you know, milk and other dairy products are an essential part of a healthy diet, especially for growing children and older people. They are important sources of calcium and protein that low-income people can afford. Therefore, it is vital that NOAAH’s constituents have complete confidence in the safety and wholesomeness of the milk products that they buy.
I write you because I am deeply concerned about the practice of a growing number of dairy processors to market milk as “hormone free,” “rBST free,” “no added hormones,” or a similar claim. The expressed position of the Food & Drug Administration and many other government and independent organizations is that milk from cows given rBST is no different than milk from cows not given this hormone. Yet companies advertising “no hormone” milk are charging as much as a dollar more per carton — an outrageous act given that they are clearly attempting to get consumers, including low-income people with limited resources, to pay more for something that is of no more nutritional value –or safer -- than milk that costs less.
Not only does this deceptive practice impose a needless financial burden on low-income consumers, it is generating unnecessary confusion and anxiety. It presents a very unwelcome dilemma for our constituency: either pay more for safe milk, or buy what you can afford and risk “hormones in your milk.” We worry that low-income consumers -- fearing “hormones in milk” but unable to afford the more expensive “rBST free” products -- will stop drinking milk altogether and opt for less-healthy alternatives.
Given this, I am writing to urge the FDA to stop this type of deceptive milk-labeling practice that cheats consumers and raises unwarranted fears. On behalf of NOAAH and its members, I strongly encourage the agency to exercise its regulatory authority in taking strong action against dairy processors that are putting profits over people, and scaring consumers about a product so essential to the health of low-income America.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Kevin Marchman, Board Secretary
National Organization for African Americans in Housing
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