§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what controls exist in respect of the sale of dairy products of US origin where bovine somatotropin may have been used in their production. [78983]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 30 March 1999]: All cows' milk contains small quantities of naturally occurring bovine somatotropin (BST). the manufactured form of BST (rBST) is not permitted for use in the EU. rBST is almost indistinguishable from naturally occurring BST and it is not practicable to establish through testing whether BST is present because of administration of rBST to the animal. Although rBST is permitted in the USA, the country of origin is normally given on most food labels or a manufacturer's address is given.