Starbucks Says NO To Bovine Growth Hormone In Its Cafes

GRASSROOTS VICTORY OF THE WEEK:

Yay to the power of consumer pressure! Finally, after six years of work by advocacy group, Organic Consumers Association (OCA), and others, Starbucks has announced it will completely phase out recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH/rBST) in all of its company-owned coffee shops by early 2008. The coffee-chain's decision comes on the heels of an announcement from food retail giant, Kroger's, who announced they will ban rBGH in all of their supermarkets by February 2008. Since 2001, the OCA's "Starbucks Campaign" has been calling on the company to discontinue serving rBGH milk and to ensure that at a significant proportion of their coffee and chocolate is certified Fair Trade and Organic.

Starbucks buys enormous quantities of milk - about 32 million gallons a year. Responding to consumer concerns about genetic engineering and food safety, those gallons will soon be free of Posilac, the synthetic growth hormone used to boost milk production. Posilac, sold by Monsanto has been banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the European Union. Despite scientific criticism that rBST was never properly cleared of safety concerns, the FDA has refused to change its stance on rBST. <snark> You all know how much I admire and trust the FDA.</snark>

If Starbucks would start carrying organic milk, now that would really be something.

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Comments

[Corinne]

I was in Starbucks today and the manager popped her head in when she heard the barista and myself talking about organic milk. She stated that all Starbucks stores will no longer carry or sell organic milk as of later this month (January 08). She then proceeded to say that all the milk will be rBGH and I said "the milk will have growth hormone?!" and she confirmed this.
I think she was confused herself and got that backwards - at least she better have!