Hormone-free milk

The Pennsylvania fight over milk labels

By Ashley Griffin

February 4, 2008

We’ve written about Dennis Wolff, Pennsylvania’s agricultural secretary, before; he’s the guy who helped launch the PA Preferred pilot program to put healthy vending machines in local schools.

Now he’s knee-deep in the Pennsylvania state discussion about whether or not milk should be allowed to be labeled as hormone-free. Wolff wanted to ban dairies from labeling milk as hormone-free, because he said it confuses consumers and makes them think the milk is safer or healthier.

A ban on these labels was set to go into effect February 1, but it’s been lifted. For now, Pennsylvania dairies can use hormone-free labels on their milk, as long as the labels also include a disclaimer stating that the milk doesn’t differ significantly from other milk that includes hormones.

As NPR has reported, there’s a rising demand for hormone-free milk. Hormones have been used in dairy cows for the past 13 years to boost milk production, and the government says they aren’t harmful. But consumers are happily paying up to 25 percent more for milk that doesn’t contain hormones.