-By D. Gail Fleenor

The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of recombinant bovine somatotropin hormone, or rBST, to increase milk production 15 years ago, and tests have shown that milk from cattle treated with the hormones is the same as from cows not treated -- but try explaining that to the many consumers who say they're wary of the presence of such additives in their milk, and who have made their concerns known to grocers across the country.

Not surprisingly, artificial growth hormone-free milk today is a trend on retail shelves, and is engendering controversy regarding how it should or should not be labeled.

The list of supermarkets that no longer accept milk from hormone-treated cows for their private label lines appears to be growing. One bit of anecdotal evidence: An online poll conducted by Progressive Grocer that implies this is likely to continue. In the recent poll, 56 percent of respondents said their stores offer private label rBST-free milk, while 17 percent said they offer it but not in private label. Another 12 percent said they don't offer rBST-free milk but plan to in the future, and 15 percent said they don't offer it and have no plans to do so.

Going without

Some milk producers still opt to use the hormone treatment. A survey of producers conducted in 2007 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that about 15 percent of dairy farmers were using rBST.

"Our stance is that farmers should have the option to use rBST," says Chris Galen, s.v.p., communications for the National Milk Producers Federation, based in Washington.

The stance being taken by some grocers, meanwhile, is that while they wouldn't deny farmers that option, they want rBST-free options for their dairy departments. Customer requests for rBST-free milk drove Ukrop's Super Markets, for example, to switch its private label brand to hormone-free.

"Although the FDA states that there is no proven difference between milk derived from cows treated with rBST and those not treated with it, our customers perceived a health benefit associated with using milk and cream products that do not contain artificial hormones," notes Sam Dortch, frozen food and dairy category manager for the Richmond, Va. chain, which operates 29 stores in the state. "If it's important to them, it's important to Ukrop's."

Dortch adds that customer response "has been nothing but positive. I have had calls and e-mails applauding our decision to move our Ukrop's brand products to an rBST-free supply source."

Along with private label milk, Ukrop's has also changed its private label half-and-half and heavy whipping cream to rBST-free.

Dortch doesn't see this as a differentiation tactic -- at least not for long. "Although we are proud to be in the lead pack on the rBST-free issue, it will soon be common practice, as all retailers are realizing the switch is inevitable," he says.

Wal-Mart, Meijer, Publix, and Kroger count themselves among the larger retailers that have publicly declared that their private label milk will be rBST-free. What's more, as of the time of this writing, Kroger, Wal-Mart, and other grocers were in a state-by-state battle against Monsanto, the maker of rBST, over how artificial hormone-free milk should be labeled.

Milk distributors find themselves caught in the middle. Ukrop's Dortch suggests that while in many cases a grocer's decision to switch to rBST-free is being driven by the customer, in other cases the change is being driven by the supply source.

"As America’s leading producer of milk and milk products, we listen closely to the needs of our consumers and retail customers, and to the dairy farmers who supply our milk," says Marguerite Copel, v.p., communications for Dean Foods Co., the largest processor and distributor of milk and other dairy products in the country. "We are always sensitive to customer and consumer needs in developing and marketing our products, and have watched the rBST situation closely."

Careful management

Dean Foods is the largest processor in the country to offer rBST-free milk, but it doesn't process artificial hormone-free milk exclusively. Some of the Dallas-based company's member dairies choose not to use artificial growth hormones; Mayfield, which puts stickers on its milk lids that say, "Our farmers pledge not to use artificial growth hormones," is one of them.

Dean Foods sells products under more than 50 local and regional brands, as well as an array of private labels. The company's WhiteWave Foods division markets and sells Silk soy milk, Horizon Organic milk, and other dairy products, as well as International Delight coffee creamers. WhiteWave's Rachel’s Organic brand is the largest organic milk brand.

If one of Dean Foods' dairies moves to offer milk produced without the use of artificial growth hormone, it's in response to significant requests, and is dependent upon the ability to access sufficient milk supply, adds Copel.

"To assure a quality product, we manage our rBST-free milk supply very carefully from farm to shelf," she notes. "On the farm, we require certification from the farmer, their pledge that the milk provided to us is produced without the use of artificial growth hormone." This milk is then transported in designated trucks containing only milk produced without the use of rBST, "so consumers can trust that what they read on the label is what's in the bottle."

On the horizon: rBST-free Little Einsteins Milk from Disney Consumer Products and Stremicks Heritage Foods, and rBST-free Kraft and Cracker Barrel 2 percent milk natural cheeses from Kraft Foods. Kraft Singles will be the next product converted to artificial hormone-free, according to company spokesman Basil Maglaris.