The Canadian dairy farmer lobby last week urged the federal government to delay any decision on a controversial dairy growth hormone until the consuming public is comfortable with the idea.
Right now, Canadians are uneasy about the integrity of the Health Canada drug review and approval process for bovine somatotropin, Dairy Farmers of Canada president Barron Blois told the Senate agriculture committee Oct. 22.
“If this task is not carried out properly, the dairy industry could face significant losses through the undermining of consumer confidence in the safety of our products,” he said. “Health Canada must not place the dairy industry in such a position.”
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One of his demands was that the federal auditor general conduct a review of how Health Canada assesses drug product applications.
He said the industry will hold the government responsible for any losses if the drug is approved for sale before the public will accept it.
But Blois would not take a stand for or against BST. He said it will depend on the government’s scientific assessment.
Tim Finkle, vice-president of the processor lobby, National Dairy Council of Canada, was stronger in his views: BST should not be approved for sale in Canada.
“The NDC remains adamantly opposed to the use of rBST, not on the basis of health-related reasons, which is the responsibility of Health Canada, but for marketing conditions,” he said.
Consumers do not want it, there is no need for it and there would be a tremendous cost if if was approved for sale, he said.
Liberal senator Eugene Whelan, a BST opponent, was not happy with the dairy farmer stance.
He thought they were too ready to let government decide. Whelan said the record-of-performance and milk pooling systems would be undermined.
“My concern has been that the Dairy Farmers of Canada has not taken a strong enough stand,” Whelan lectured Blois. “Do you not have some concern about what will happen if this product becomes legal for farmers to use?”
Blois stuck to his DFC line of argument. Health Canada must credibly decide the future of the product before farmers have to decide what to do.
“The product is before Health Canada in the drug approval process,” the DFC president said. “What we have said right from the beginning is let Health Canada and drug approval process do its work.”
He said it would be premature for dairy farmers to spend much time worrying about an issue that Health Canada might quash.
“I do not get the impression that you are concerned and preparing for the worst,” responded Whelan. “The worst, as far as I am concerned, would be the approval of this artificial hormone.”
