Categories: NewsPhilly

Food and Water Watch: School Milk Campaign

One part of being green (that’s often  ignored in the media) is understanding nutrition & what’s in our food supply. 

This upcoming Tuesday, January 27, Food and Water Watch is holding a campaign Kick-off Meeting at Crossroads Coffee House (1270 Township Line Rd, Drexel Hill, PA 19026) for the School Milk Campaign.  The purpose of the campaign is to address rBGH, a genetically engineered hormone injected into 20% of cows in the US – making them artificially produce more milk over a longer time. 

The Food and Water Watch is encouraging  our public schools to go rBGH-free and also encouraging local Representative Sestak to address this issue.    

Background info:  Synthetic hormones are infiltrating our public school milk programs. The federal nutrition programs are a major provider of milk to our nation’s school-age children. According to the National Milk Producers Federation, nearly 430 million gallons of milk were distributed through the National School Breakfast, Lunch, and Special Milk programs during the 2005-2006 school year. Unfortunately, a significant amount of this milk may have been produced with rBGH.  

Most of the world has banned the use of rBGH due to its health impacts on both humans and animals – In the US, consumer preference for rBGH-free milk is overwhelming.  As ‘unsafe’ milk  is increasingly losing retail sales, school cafeterias have become the dumping ground. While more research needs to be done on health implications of rBGH and its link to breast & prostate cancer, children’s health is at risk.

Can’t attend Tuesday? Sign Food and Water Watch’s petition. 

Posted by Julie

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia.

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