An Act relating to the labeling of milk, cream, or any product or byproduct of milk or cream.

Posted: February 22, 2000
Contact: Representative John Harris, at (907) 465-4859.

HB 110 promotes consumer choice. In a 1996 poll commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 94 percent of the 1900 respondents said they favored labeling of milk to indicate whether the cows producing the milk had been injected with rBST.

With the expectation that individual states would adopt regulations for the labeling of milk, the federal government has provided interim guidelines that give detailed descriptions for the complex labeling needed to give consumers the information they need to make their choice. To date, 26 states have adopted such regulations and underlying statutes.

Additionally, Alaska statutes currently provide some general food and product labeling requirements at AS 11.46.710 and AS 17.20.040. However, with some foods the Legislature has provided more specific guidelines when it believed necessary, which is the approach HB 110 proposes.

Whether synthetic hormones such as rBST and rBGH are safe for the livestock and/or the consumers is still unknown. Chemical producers, such as Monsanto, maintain that synthetic hormones are safe; yet some jurisdictions, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union, have chosen not to allow the use of such hormones.

HB 110 does not propose to ban the use of synthetic hormones, but presents a reasonable compromise by giving a choice to those consumers who would prefer to have synthetic hormone?free products on the shelves.

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