Way Cleared for Vermont to Label Milk From Hormone-Treated Cows

A federal appeals court on Tuesday cleared the way for Vermont to start requiring labels on milk produced by cows treated with bovine growth hormone.

The law takes effect next week. Along with the warning that milk products came from cows treated with the BGH hormone to increase their production, the labels would say the federal Food and Drug Administration has found no significant difference between milk from treated and untreated cows.

A panel of the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals meeting in New York rejected a dairy industry request for an emergency stay. The judges did agree to expedite a hearing on a full appeal, said Vermont Atty. Gen. Jeffrey Amestoy.

“The plaintiffs have tried everything they could to block implementation of this law and we have successfully countered every argument. This ought to give the other side some pause about the merits of their case,” Amestoy said.

The lawsuit was filed by a number of groups, including the International Dairy Foods Assn. and Grocery Manufacturers of America. Grocers argue that the state labeling law violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Gov. Howard Dean said the ruling was good for consumers.