PRB 98-1E
INTRODUCTION
Prepared by:
Frédéric Forge
Science and Technology Division
October 1998
Recombinant bovine somatotropin
(rbST) is a veterinary medication produced by genetic engineering. When administered to
lactating cows, it can increase their milk production by between 10 and 15%.
Approval of this product has
been subject to controversy in this country since the early 1990s, primarily because of
its possible effects on human health. The various House of Commons and Senate committees
with an interest in the subject have regularly examined the issue and held hearings on it.
In 1994, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food published a
report entitled rbST in Canada. The first request for approval of an rbST-based
product was made in 1988; however, no decision has yet been made on whether to authorize
or to ban this medication. Health Canada, the department responsible for approving the
product, is currently reviewing its process for evaluating rbST.
This document presents various
issues relating to rbST and considers its effects on health and the dairy industry, its
regulation in Canada, and its use abroad. |