BST is a naturally occurring protein hormone produced by dairy cows to regulate their milk production. rBST is a synthetic version of BST, often given to cows to increase their milk production. Since 2002, Woolworths has not used rBST to treat any of its Ayrshire dairy cows in response to customer demand.
“We are pleased to be able to offer our customers further assurances that our fresh Ayrshire milk does not contain rBST. Alongside the relationships we have built with our dairy farmers, regular audits to ensure they are not administering the hormone, and extensive audit protocols, we are now able to test milk accurately for the presence of rBST. This means we can verify via structured testing that our milk is rBST free,” says Suzy O’Regan, Woolworths’ dairy product developer.
“Our commitment to responding to our customers’ requests for milk produced without the use of the rBST hormone was the driving force behind implementing testing by with an internationally recognised academic institution.”
Woolworths has been working closely with the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries regarding the processes of legal compliance as well as the Dairy Standard Agency to ensure product integrity regarding rBST at farm level.
The milk products have been available in stores since 4 September and will be rolled out during the course of the month. The Ayrshire milk bottle, which usually displays its ‘green heart’ to communicate that it is made of 30% plant-based plastic, will now also include the rBST-free ‘stamp’.
