§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
On what grounds they have decided that consumers shall not be informed, at the point of purchase, whether milk has come from cows which have been treated with the drug bovine somatotropin and how, in these circumstances, consumers may exercise the right to avoid such milk if they wish to.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)Milk from cows treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin provides no more than one-hundreth of one per cent. of the country's supply. The Veterinary Products Committee has rigorously examined all available scientific data and advised that it is safe for consumers. It is indistinguishable from other cows' milk. There is no legal requirement for the milk boards which collect, pool and distribute milk to incur the considerable additional costs of separate collection and marketing. My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has, however, asked the Food Advisory Committee to review all aspects of food labelling, including the possibility of labelling to show treatments with veterinary products. We expect to receive its report shortly. It is open to those consumers who buy milk direct from local farmers to ask their suppliers whether the BST present in the milk is entirely of natural origin.