Clinical review 21: The efficacy and safety of growth hormone for animal agriculture.

Abstract

Public understanding, perception, and acceptance are important for the benefits of biotechnology to be realized. Based upon sound scientific evidence, GH does not appear to pose any risk to the consumer. More than 1000 papers have been published about bGH and pGH, and the principal lines of evidence supporting the position that they are safe are reviewed herein. Recently, an independent committee appointed by The National Institutes of Health examined the available data and concluded that "The evidence clearly indicates that the overall composition and nutritional quality of milk and meat from bGH-treated cows is equal to that from untreated cows". Similarly, the FDA has concluded that the use of bGH presents no increased health risk to consumers. In addition, there is compelling evidence to indicate that GH poses no increased health risk to the target animal. Thus, GH treatment of farm animals is not only an effective technology for increasing productive efficiency but one that poses no increased health risk for either the consumer or the target animal.