Believe it or not, corporate giant Monsanto is suing milk producers such as Hood and Garelick Farms for telling consumers that they are not using cows who are fed rBST, a hormone which some dairies use to make their cows produce more milk. From Boston.com:

Monsanto Corp. yesterday asked two federal regulatory agencies to investigate what it alleges are false and misleading advertising claims made by many dairies, including some of the biggest in New England.

Many dairies, such as H.P. Hood LLC in Chelsea and Garelick Farms in Franklin, now say their milk comes from cows not treated with the artificial growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST, which is manufactured by St. Louis-based Monsanto. Hood and Garelick made the shift last year to better compete against organic milk producers , which have seen their sales rise sharply.

Monsanto, in letters to the US Federal Trade Commission and the US Food and Drug Administration, said the advertising of some dairies falsely suggests that there are health and safety risks associated with milk from cows treated with the artificial growth hormones.

“Consumers, many of whom are misled by the deceptive advertising, pay higher prices for milk and get nothing in return,” said the letters from Monsanto, which were cosigned by hundreds of dairy farmers.

Garelick and Hood milk sell for $4.29 to $4.39 at many supermarkets , while store-brand milks that make no claim about artificial growth hormones typically sell for less than $4.

The FDA approved the use of the synthetic hormone in 1993. Some consumers fear the synthetic hormones cause cancer or premature development in children. Some countries have banned the use of such hormones, but primarily because of its effect on cows.

According to Monsanto, a lab analysis it conducted in January of 95 different brands of milk purchased in 48 states found no differences, whether the cows that produced the milk were treated with the synthetic hormone or not. The synthetic hormone boosts a typical cow’s milk production by about 10 pounds per day.

Officials at Hood and at Dean Foods Co. in Dallas, which owns Garelick, said they agree there is no difference . The officials said their dairies are using milk from cows not treated with the artificial growth hormone because their customers want it.

“When a consumer asks for it, we provide it as a service,” said Marguerite Copel , a Dean Foods spokeswoman, noting that only 17 of Dean’s 100 dairies rely on milk from cows not treated with the synthetic hormone. “This is a small niche product.” [full text]

I don’t know about you, but it’s okay with me if Garelick Farms wants to advertise on their label that they are not using cows treated with synthetic hormones such as rBST. Research on rBST suggests that the jury is still out on whether it is safe for consumers.

Hat tip to Bullnotbull.com for the original link.