Robert Cohen's Hungerstrike
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Sunday, November 7 - Day 1
Today begins the first day of my hunger strike. Many people have asked
what foods or liquids will go into my mouth. Since this is a hunger
strike, the answer is "no food," and let me tell you this, I'm pretty
hungry. Right now, I am thinking about an apple I see sitting on my
counter. That Macintosh looks delicious, and I am salivating.
Salivation is a natural response to a desire for food.
I begin my fast with 120 supporters. Five other people have pledged to
continue this hunger strike for the "duration."
My goals have been clearly stated, but for the purpose of this diary, I
shall simply repeat my goal: FDA removes Posilac. The Food & Drug
Administration revokes the approval for the cancer-causing, genetically
engineered bovine growth hormone.
Today I began by drinking distilled water. At noon, I faced my first
challenge-a little hill that I climb. Its name is prune juice. After
running over the hill, I am certain to get the "runs."
______________________________________________________
I am now writing five hours after drinking a 32-ounce container of prune
juice. My 5-minute intervals to the toilet have now decreased to once
every 20 minutes as the natural colonic frees my GI tract of previous
meals. I am hungry but the distilled water is filling. I have
tremendous energy and intensity of thought. I intend to go to bed early
this evening and will try not to imagine visions of sugarplums and tofu.
**************************
Monday, November 8 - Day 2
I woke up today feeling no hunger and feeling refreshed. My normal
morning routine includes a trip to the bathroom. A gallon of distilled
water passes its therapeutic journey through my body but there was
little or nothing of any digested food. I began my day and will
continue to do so throughout this hunger strike with the fresh juice of
a whole lemon in a tall glass of distilled water.
I am not in this hunger strike to make a two-week statement and then
die. I will remain alert and be filled with energy as a result of
drinking fresh juice. However, I will limit what I ingest to only that
amount of juice that is necessary to continue neural and cellular
functioning.
While humans do not eat grass, I have chosen the juice of one substance
that provides more nutrition than any other food on planet.. Earth-wheat
grass. The juice from wheat grass is life, and I intend to visit my
local health food store and drink one ounce of this sustaining substance
each day in addition to the distilled water.
In 1930, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to Dr. Hans Fischer
who noted that chlorophyll and blood hemoglobin are nearly identical.
The major difference is in the center atom. Chlorophyll contains as its
center atom magnesium while hemoglobin has as its center atom iron. This
one ounce a day will sustain me as it has many others on similar fasts.
Today I had to deal with a dilemma. Many husbands and wives have signed
pledges to fast for at least one day. My wife, Lisa, has also offered
to do so. She has mixed feelings about my hunger strike. On one hand,
the insurance money would be real nice should FDA decide not to revoke
the use of the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH). On
the other hand, my wife pointed out to me that Jennifer (14), Sarah
(13), and Elizabeth (10) need a father and she needs a husband and they
cannot support my decision which will lead me to a point in time, in the
not so far future, when I look death in the face.
The most pleasant and unpleasant aspects of a hunger strike are the
changes that occur within the body. On one hand, I will cleanse my
system and rid myself of diseased and not-so-needed layers of fat. On
the other hand, my intestinal tract will be the depository for the by-
product resulting from cellular metabolism of fat cells. How do I get
rid of this gunk?
The answer is in using daily enemas. Not a pleasant thought, but an
absolute necessity for a hunger striker. Should I simply experience a
hunger strike on just plain water with no enemas, I will shortly be
bedridden and become too ill to communicate with the press.
Our chances of victory are made greater by my ability to remain alert
and to travel to various audiences.
My pledge, I will not eat until Monsanto's poison is taken out of our
food.
***************************
Tuesday, November 9 - Day 3
I started my day with my usual glass of lemon juice in freshly distilled
water. I feel stronger and more alert than I did yesterday and am
highly motivated to begin today's work.
The first thing on my schedule is a visit to my physician, David
Goldstein, MD, a personal friend and gastroenterologist. Dr. Goldstein
will give me a physical and draw blood samples so as to monitor my
entire physiology during the duration of this fast.
On the way back from his office, I will stop at my local health food
store for my first one-ounce shot of wheat grass juice. (I hate the
taste of this stuff, but it will sustain me as my body loses one pound
per day for the next 100 days.)
I have been reading books and searching the Internet for information
about fasting. I will look in the book section of my health food store
for additional information regarding fasting.
******************************
Wednesday, November 10 - Day 4
Today I received a letter from Scott Campbell who subscribes to an
Internet talk group. He was actually admonishing many of the members of
the group who were urging me not to continue my hunger strike because
I'd be better alive than dead. Scott wrote:
"Is this really necessary? This isn't the message we need to be sending
Robert right now. It's fine what you think, but by telling him he's
going to die and filling him with the dismay that people who share his
ideals don't have faith in him does not help anyone."
I responded to his letter:
"Dear Scott,
I want your support! I welcome your doubts! I admire your passions!!!
Every comment fuels me.
Those who begin hunger strikes hope for tremendous publicity. They
sacrifice their health with expectations that those who run things be
connected to the universal wisdom associated with their goal and cause.
Yesterday, my doctor drew blood and suggested that he also do a
physical. I agreed and we set the appointment for next Monday. On the
way out, we shook hands goodbye and I asked, "Why am I taking a
physical? I am fasting to the death." He smiled. I loved his
response. "It's for my benefit," he said. This physician is a friend
and I suggested he prepare a waiver for me absolving him of any
responsibility for my physical well being as a result of my hunger
strike."
Today I am comfortable in saying that I am prepared to go the distance.
I really cannot understand what the distance is and will only learn the
power and strength of my will when I am within view of the finish line.
This is the 4th day of my hunger strike and my 4th diary entry. I have
made a vow to carefully reassess what I am doing on my next birthday,
which works out to be the 114th day of my hunger strike. :>)
***********************************
Thursday, November 11, 1999 - Day 5
Ignorance can last for an eternity while truth sometimes appears for
just a moment in time; denial of truth can go on for a lifetime. Today
is the fifth day of my hunger strike and I have learned a truth about my
body that I have previously denied.
Fasting is a healing process and as one's body cleanses itself, one
becomes aware of each bone and muscle and organ. For the past year, I
have had a right knee that screamed out to me every time I climbed the
stairway. I have taken medication and seen doctors and have done all
that I can through traditional medicine to identify and cure this
ailment. Fasting has done that for me.
It is said that nature's glues do not do well for the human body.
Casein in milk is a tenacious glue, and I had eliminated that from my
diet. However, I continued to eat bread. Wheat protein is gluten. The
name alone should have told me something. I have removed the gluten
from my system and the pain in my knee has miraculously disappeared.
I feel strong in this fast. I have been drinking distilled water with
lemon juice and my mind is alert and I am filled with energy. This week
I plan to continue my intake of water and will be introducing one ounce
of wheat grass juice into my daily regimen. I am my way now to a health
food store to buy whole wheat berries that I will be sprouting and
growing for that purpose.
Next week presents many opportunities. On Thursday, November 18, I will
be in Chicago to make a statement before the Food & Drug Administration
(FDA) regarding the labeling of foods containing genetically engineered
products. The following day, I will be in Rockville, Maryland at FDA's
Center for Veterinary Medicine to meet with scientists and present my
petition to revoke rbGH from the market.
*********************************
Friday, November 12, 1999 - Day 6
Today is Day 6 of my hunger strike. I have been reading and learning
and talking to experienced fasters, coaches, and health professionals.
It is important that I remain in complete control of my sensibilities.
Therefore, I will soon begin to drink one ounce of wheat grass juice
each day.
Yesterday morning I visited a health food store and purchased a
one-pound package of organic wheat berries. I also visited a local
nursery and bought a 40-pound bag of dirt.
Somebody will tell me whether it was Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer who tricked
his friends into whitewashing the fence for him. I forget. I took
inspiration by this story and got my youngest daughter, Elizabeth, to
layer the dirt in trays, plant the seeds, cover them with another layer
of dirt, and then water them. In a week I shall have fresh wheat grass
to put into my juicer.
We are now printing thousands of bumper stickers, and enlisting the aid
of volunteers to place those stickers on cars, signs, and lampposts. If
you would like some stickers, please contact us the Dairy Education
Board at 201-871-5871. The stickers are free but we happily accept
donations to cover their cost.
On Thursday of next week, I travel to Chicago where I will be commenting
before the FDA commissioner on labeling laws and policy regarding
bioengineered foods.
Donna Shalala, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services, has said that, "FDA makes sure that our food supply is among
the safest in the world. Some consumers have concerns about the use of
this technology in foods, and we need to ask why these concerns exist
and how we can address them."
I will be appearing before the new FDA commissioner, Jane Henney, MD.
Dr. Henney was not the commissioner of FDA when rbGH was approved. She
has written, "Our scientists are not aware of any reason to question the
safety of currently marketed foods produced through genetic
engineering."
I will be giving the Commissioner reason to be very concerned.
*****************************
Saturday, November 13 - Day 7
Today is the 7th day of my hunger strike. It has been a pretty lousy
week for the dairy industry. Traditionally, the dairy farmer has gotten
about $14 for every hundredweight (100 pounds) of milk he or she
produces. That price jumped to nearly $20 last year and was $15 and
change last week. The bad news hit hard. On Monday, the price of milk
fell $4.77 to just over $11.
Last summer, the dairy industry closed in Belgium for a month, and there
was a panic at the supermarkets because unsafe levels of dioxins were
found in their milk supply. This week, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream was
tested and 200 times the safe level of dioxins were found.
Every week new studies pound additional nails into the dairy industry's
coffin. Milk hormones will be the story to link one millennium to
another. Congress already has a bill that is seeking to label
genetically engineered foods. As we end this millennium and begin
another, you who have pledged your support and have joined me on this
hunger strike do so for all of humanity. We will win and help all
people discover the fountain of youth.
***************************
Sunday, November 14 - Day 8
Today is the 8th day of my hunger strike. I have been continuing a
dialogue with Neal Barnard, founder of the Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Dr. Barnard has been saying for many years
that milk and dairy products are inappropriate for humans. This past
week, I have agreed to join PCRM in a suit against the Food & Drug
Administration to revise the current dietary guidelines for Americans
and to shatter USDA's Food Pyramid and encourage healthy diets for all
Americans.
PCRM is seeking additional plaintiffs, and I urge you to join this suit.
You will not incur any financial responsibility by becoming a plaintiff,
but your voice can make a difference. If you would like to join PCRM
and myself in the suit, please call or e-mail Tracye McQuirter. Her
e-mail address is tmcquirter@PCRM.org or call her at 202-686-2210.
Today, I made potassium broth that will insure that my cellular
electrolyte fluids remain in balance. I will drink one 12-ounce glass
per day of this filtered mineral-rich liquid.
To a pot of water, I added a sliced potato, carrot, onion, celery, and
beet. I boiled the vegetables for 30 minutes and strained the liquid.
***************************
Monday, November 15 - Day 9
Today is Day 9 of my hunger strike. I have gained inspiration from the
exploits of those men and women who have climbed Mount Everest. These
past two weeks, I have read three books dealing with the subject of the
1996 ascent in which nine climbers died.
Many people have asked why I wish to continue the hunger strike and what
this protest means to me.
One man who climbed Everest, Tom Whittaker, said, "Everest for me, and I
believe for the world, is the physical and symbolic manifestation of
overcoming odds to achieve a dream."
Others have added their words of wisdom, which parallel the journey that
many of us have chosen to take.
"Everest is a matter of universal human endeavor, a cause from which
there is no withdrawal, whatever loses it may demand" -G.O. Dyrenfurth
"Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the
willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with
money or be given by others...it rises from your heart." -Junko Tabei,
after becoming the first woman to climb Everest.
My wife, children, family, and friends have called me "crazy," and look
to a time in the future when this hunger strike may very well take its
toll on my health and safety. One of the greatest climbers who lived
and died on that mountain, Rob Hall, uttered his last words via
satellite radio phone to his pregnant wife in New Zealand as he lay
dying: "Hey, look, don't worry too much about me."
The great Austrian climber, Reinhold Messner, said, "I am nothing more
than a single narrow gasping lung, floating over the mists and
summits." Substitute the word "voice" for "lung" and Messner's words
aptly describe the spiritual feeling that overtakes one after a week of
having no food in his body.
The most famous of quotes associated with the great mountain was made by
George Mallory, a man who died in his attempt to scale the summit. His
body remains on the mountain. Mallory was asked, "Why do you want to
climb Mount Everest?"
We have been asked, "What purpose is served in continuing a hunger
strike when Monsanto's hormone will never be taken off the market?"
We believe that FDA will revoke the use of Posilac. We climb our
mountain for the same reason that Mallory climbed his:
"Because it is there."
*****************************
Tuesday, November 16 - Day 10
Today is Day 10 of my hunger strike. Many people are not aware that
after climbing Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary built a hospital, schools,
and an airport for the Sherpa people.
Thanks to Beverly McManus who sent us Sir Edmund Hillary's favorite
quote attributed to Germany's most famous writer, Goethe:
"Concerning all acts of initiative and creation there is one elementary
truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans;
that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves
too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise not
have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come
his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, do it. Boldness has
genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."
Good news comes in bunches and today is no exception. First, I received
my copy of the November issue of Milkweed, a dairy industry newsletter.
In that issue is news of the hunger strike. Columnist Pete Hardin
writes, "Cohen's hunger strike is a device to gain attention to his
cause. Many in dairy hate the guy. Over time, has Cohen harmed dairy
more than Monsanto's biotech hormone? That jury's out."
The second piece of good news is that WABC-TV in New York has been
promoting my appearance on tonight's 11:00 news. I have even had people
call me to tell me that they've heard radio spots.
The third piece of good news is a story in today's Bergen Record
newspaper, the third largest newspaper in the New York metropolitan
area.
BERGEN RECORD - Tuesday, November 16, 1999
Can the evils of seduction be tied to milk mustache?
Ripper: Have you ever heard of a thing called fluoridation? Fluoridation
of water?
Mandrake: Ah, yes, I have heard of that, Jack, yes.
Ripper: Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously
conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?
From the film "Dr. Strangelove"
By SEAMUS McGRAW
Staff Writer
We now have Oradell real estate developer Robert Cohen to thank for
bringing to light yet another insidious plot.
Cohen for years has waged a lonely battle against what he calls the
evils of milk, alleging it is the agent behind such maladies as breast
and prostate cancers. But he made a startling discovery recently.
The cartel that produces and promotes milk, Cohen claims, is leading
teenage boys to seduce, or be seduced by, their teachers.
His proof is an advertisement run by the National Fluid Milk Processor
Promotion Board, the folks behind the "milk mustache" campaign.
The ad in question features hunky teen idol Joshua Jackson of
television's "Dawson's Creek" and follows an episode in which his
character, Pacey Witter, has a sexual relationship with his high-school
teacher.
It shows Jackson sporting a milk mustache and bears the caption:
I can't help it. Women of all ages look up to me. Why? I'm 6 foot 2.
Thanks in part to milk.
The calcium helps bones grow strong. Considering 15% of your adult
height is added when you're a teenager, that's good to know. Especially
if you want to impress, let's say, an older woman.
Seems harmless enough. Although he plays a 16-year-old on television,
Jackson in real life is well past the age of majority, his show's
publicist says. He legally can flex his buff body at women from any
demographic group the advertiser chooses.
But Cohen says that's beside the point. He calls the dairy industry's ad
an attempt to seduce teens into a world of depravity and dissolution.
Cohen draws direct connections to high-profile, real-life instances --
among them, the case of statutory rapist Mary Kay Letourneau, who gave
birth to two children fathered by a 13-year-old student of hers.
He also sees the seeds in an incident last month in which a 24-year-old
assistant teacher at a private high school in Englewood was charged with
having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student.
Never mind that Letourneau's case occurred before the ad in question
ever appeared. Forget the fact that there is no evidence that the
17-year-old in the Englewood case ever saw it. Cohen is convinced that
the ad at least is partly to blame for the boys' trysts with older
women.
"Like Eve offering the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge to
Adam, the dairy industry's search for knowledge has become an enticement
for children of all ages to have sex with their teachers," he says.
"Wear a milk mustache like the star of 'Dawson's Creek.' Have sex with
an older teacher like the star of 'Dawson's Creek."'
Cohen is actively promoting his cause on his Web site, along with a
letter on the subject from Cardinal John O'Connor, the archbishop of New
York.
In his letter, the cardinal says up front that he's never seen the TV
series or the ad. But he says that, based on Cohen's description of
both, it seems "another example of the misuse of media and its harmful
effect on our young people."
Representatives of the milk mustache campaign dismiss Cohen's frothy
accusations as nothing more than the rantings of someone who has given
new meaning to the phrase "lactose intolerant."
"Every day of the year this guy comes up with some ridiculous thing,"
said Susan Ruland, the executive vice president in charge of the
campaign.
Recently, she noted, Cohen suggested that the milk mustache campaign was
promoting obesity and other physical problems in an ad featuring Curly
Howard from The Three Stooges.
"It's not only ridiculous, it's old, coming from this source," Ruland
said. "He's tried to think up the most outrageous thing he can.
"But it's a free world."
Julie Kingsdale, publicist for "Dawson's Creek," notes that in the
series, Jackson's older lover suffered humiliation, lost her job, and
had to leave town, hardly a ringing endorsement for cross-generational
coupling.
But perhaps the most stinging challenge to Cohen's allegations comes
from a guy who, to some degree, sees some merit in them.
To Bergen County Prosecutor William H. Schmidt, Cohen's insistence on
blaming an advertising campaign for an offense as insidious as the
sexual abuse of young males by older women trivializes a very real
crime.
In New Jersey, he says, law enforcement officials have long "recognized
that when a woman has a sexual relationship with a male who is much
younger, it is just as much of a crime as when it happens between a man
and a young girl. It's just as prohibited."
Society still has a tendency to look the other way when the victim is a
boy, viewing the relationship as "sort of a macho thing," he says. But
the long-term damage to a boy in such a relationship is real, he says.
The "boys will be boys" attitude is latently sexist, Schmidt says.
Unfortunately, however, Cohen's crusade probably will succeed only in
milking the issue for a few giggles, he said.
All the same, I'm still going to take my coffee black.
*******************************
Wednesday, November 17 - Day 11
Today is Day 11 of my hunger strike. Andy Warhol said that every person
gets 15 minutes of fame. Well, last night, I got 20 seconds on ABC News
in New York. Reporter Diana Williams did a story on early sexual onset
in young girls. Here is how my part went:
Diana Williams pushed a shopping cart with a carton of milk in it down a
supermarket aisle and said, "Robert Cohen, an anti-milk activist,
believes that children should stop drinking milk."
From the original one-hour interview taped in my office, a 20-second
segment is what they chose to air. I said:
"Got hormones? Every sip of milk has estrogen, progesterone,
testosterone, prolactin, melotonin-we're talking about powerful
hormones. These are responsible for early onset."
Diana Williams then spoke. She said:
"Hormones naturally occur in milk, but some are added. Five years ago,
the FDA gave dairy farmers the go-ahead to inject cows with the bovine
growth hormone to increase milk production, but the dairy industry says
it is a myth that it has any effect on milk drinkers."
ABC-TV then interviewed Dr. Greg Miller, the highest-ranking executive
in the milk industry. Miller said:
"When you drink a glass of milk, the levels in there are so low,
relative to what we have naturally in our body, it's like spitting in
the ocean. It's not even detectable."
I've got some very bad news for Dr. Miller, for the dairy industry, for
Monsanto, and for the Food & Drug Administration. The reality of Dr.
Miller's "spit in the ocean" comment is this: the October 1999 issue of
the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that the
levels of IGF-I increase by a factor of 10% in the blood serum of those
who drink milk.
If we added 10% to the volume of water in our oceans, the only survivors
would be those prudent enough to build an ark.
Perhaps that is our future with genetic engineering.
******************************
Thursday, November 18 - Day 12
Today is the 12th day of my hunger strike and I am writing this in
Chicago. Soon, I will get on a plane that will take me back to New
Jersey. Tonight I land at Newark Airport and immediately go to the
Middletown (NJ) School District where I will speak about the ill effects
of milk and dairy products. From there, I drive to a hotel room where
I'll be lucky to get a few hours of sleep. I'll continue on to
Rockville, Maryland before the sun rises, and will meet with scientists
at the Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA's investigative research
center.
Tomorrow, I will give an uninterrupted two-hour presentation. Today's
session, however, is an insult to all Americans. This was a
filibuster by those people whose agenda it is to promote genetic
engineering. The entire morning has been taken up by rhetoric that we
have heard before. This is why America has lost faith in the FDA and is
skeptical of anything coming out of that office.
The panel participants are "plants" whose roots have been nourished and
fed by Monsanto's fertilizer. I will be recording my testimony and have
it for you tomorrow. However, let me make one comment that you will
probably not get to see. There are a dozen television cameras at the
back of the room. Every network is represented. Runners will take the
morning tape and get it into editing so that today's events are on
tonight's news. Our testimony has been pushed off until late in the
day, and FDA's pretense at openness has, in effect, become an exercise
in self-gratification and self-abuse.
****************************
Friday, November 19 - Day 13
On Thursday, the Food & Drug Administration delivered an enormous insult
to Americans. We were invited to participate in a process that will
determine whether foods containing genetically modified organisms be
labeled as such. FDA took one day and one venue and stacked the deck
against our freedom to relate our concerns. Instead of allowing a
reasonable amount of time for each person to speak, FDA limited each
speaker to two minutes. The event was covered by America's media who
taped the entire morning's events, which included statements of support
for biotechnology by FDA employees and Monsanto supporters. It is
little wonder that the press did not return after lunch, having had more
than their fill of boring speeches, statements, and propaganda. While
pretending to offer the opportunity for dissent, FDA severely limited
our freedom of speech.
My testimony and the entire testimony of 84 other motivated individuals
will be available on FDA's website one week from today (www.fda.gov). I
sat through panel discussions from biotech representatives who have
stakes in genetic engineering. The rhetoric from these biased speakers
of falsehoods attacked critics of genetic engineering who have, in their
words, "no real scientific facts." When it came time to make my
presentation, I addressed the FDA commissioner and members of her staff:
"You want real science? I'm here to give you real science! The
greatest controversy in FDA history was the approval process for
Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. FDA, for the
first time, published something in a peer-reviewed scientific
journal-Science (August 24, 1990)."
I'm not going to reproduce the entire transcript here, but I made the
key point about how genetic engineering does not work and how the system
is flawed.
I pointed out the little known fact that Monsanto created a "freak"
amino acid when they incorrectly transcribed the bovine growth hormone.
Laboratory animals developed cancers and rbGh-treated cows birthed
calves with genetic deformities, and Monsanto never told FDA of this
error. Their error was more than one of omission. Their act was an
utter disregard and contempt for the rights of American consumers. That
act of intentional omission should be considered a criminal action.
Those who are in power to accurately judge Monsanto will one day, in the
very near future, determine, not only Monsanto's fate, but also the fate
of genetic engineering. On this day, I will meet with a team of FDA
administrators at the Center for Veterinary Medicine in Rockville,
Maryland. Tomorrow, I will let you know what happened at that meeting.
******************************
Saturday, November 20 - Day 14
On Day 14 of my hunger strike, I was in Cincinnati. There I met with
members of EarthSave International, an organization founded by John
Robbins. John's book, "Diet for a New America," has been more than an
inspiration to millions of Americans. John's work is promoted by
EarthSave's 50 chapters and tens of thousands of members.
I lectured at the University of Cincinnati before a large and
enthusiastic crowd, and did a number of radio and newspaper interviews
that should continue to bring health and healing to people. I also did
a book signing in a Barnes & Noble in Cincinnati, and was delighted to
have Jane Heimlich visit to give me support for my continued hunger
strike. I was driven all over town by Cincinnati EarthSave president
Melissa Fannon. I was guest at the home of Linda and Ron Richardson.
Linda rescues animals and her home is home to seven cats and four dogs.
I awoke at 4:00 AM and went to the living room couch to catch up on my
reading, which I found to be nearly impossible. Seven cats licked and
snuggled and gently walked over me on "little fog's feet."
****************************
Sunday, November 21 - Day 15
Sunday was Day 15 of my hunger strike. On Sunday, I was driven to the
Blue Grass state where I was the guest speaker at the turkeyless
Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the Lexington, Kentucky chapter of
EarthSave International. My daughter Elizabeth accompanied me on my
weekend trip, and we devised a very special way to communicate.
The meal was a potluck dinner that included a most incredible variety of
gourmet vegetarian dishes. Elizabeth would hold up a piece of sushi and
say, "Taste this, Dad." As she did, I remembered the taste and texture
of rice with pickled vegetables surrounded by nori. She would dip the
sushi into shoyu and place a piece of pickled ginger into her mouth. I
would take pleasure in each bite. She tasted the curried lentils and
the vegan lasagna and the sesame noodles, but her greatest joy came with
her slice of milk-free pumpkin pie. With each taste, Lizzy shared the
moment and used every bit of ESP-sending ability to deliver her pleasure
to my tastebuds.
I spoke to the group of about 200 diners and received a very warm and
enthusiastic reception to my message. Many in that crowd have agreed to
support our hunger strike for a day or longer, and I love them for it.
Lexington EarthSave president Terri Fann set Lizzy and I up at the home
of her father and mother, Bert and Linne Doyne, and we were treated like
royalty.
****************************
Monday, November 22 - Day 16
Today was Day 16 of my hunger strike. I left Lexington early and
learned the meaning of the word "fog" as it relates to the word
"airport." Elizabeth and I exhausted every opportunity to explore
Lexington's gateway to the world. We met a woman at the airport who is
a marathon runner with asthma. Lizzy helped me explain to her that the
mucus one gets from cheese and milk is an internal fog that "lifts"
about one week after giving up all dairy products. Thank goodness
Newark Airport's fog lifted in only three hours.
We arrived home and I downloaded approximately 2600 e-mail messages,
which kept me busy long into the night. Forgive me if I haven't
answered yours, but, as you can imagine, things are quite busy.
My parents live in the same town as I do and I went over to drop off a
few things. If you are lucky enough to have a Jewish mother, you'll
enjoy the following interaction that I had with my mom. We saw each
other for the first time in a week, kissed, and my mother asked, "Are
you coming for Thanksgiving?" I said, "Of course." She asked, "What
can I make for you?" I said, "Ma, this is a hunger strike, I'm not
eating." Her response was, "How long is this hunger strike going to
last?" I said, "It's going to last until I die, Mom." She looked at me
with her "I know you're making fun of me" look on her face and asked,
"I'll make you some vegetables?" "No, Mom." "You've got to eat
something, Robert, or you'll starve." "That's the point, Mom. Gandhi
went on hunger strikes and changed the world. So will I." "You're not
Gandhi, you got to eat something," she said. "Thank you, Mom. See you
on Thanksgiving. Bye." And with that, I went home, went to bed, and as
I write this, it is Tuesday morning and I am ready to change the world.
*****************************
Tuesday, November 23 - Day 17
Today is the 17th day of my hunger strike and I have three radio shows
and an appointment with a major New York City television news show.
Last Thursday's appearance before FDA was well reported in the Chicago
area, but received little or no press attention in New York. Quite
frankly, I went to Chicago hoping that things had changed with the new
FDA commissioner. They have not. The FDA presentation and panel
discussions were a sham designed so that America's press received heavy
doses of brainwashing in the morning with little or no dissent.
The room was intimidating with a strong presence of Secret Service
agents rimming the perimeter. FDA and panelists sat on a raised dais,
and the first three rows of the audience were reserved for FDA
employees, not guests. We were separated from FDA by a rope.
At one point, FDA presented a slide show of the basics of
biotechnology. We 85 who came to speak in Chicago were well versed in
the issues, and the slide show was a stalling technique that kept our
comments down to two minutes each. At one point, the FDA lecturer could
not get anyone to shut off the lights, and a thirty-second delay grew
into a minute while the presenter struggled. He again asked if anybody
could flip off the switch, and I took that moment to express myself. I
turned around and yelled to the crowd, "Let Monsanto turn off the
lights. They know the right buttons to push." The crowd laughed and
applauded.
I was given the opportunity to be the first person to speak after
lunch. I should have spoken before lunch. After lunch, the press
left. The room was not very well attended. I walked out of the room to
catch a flight back to New Jersey and prepared my mind for Friday's
meeting with the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), FDA's
investigative branch. CVM approved Monsanto's genetically engineered
bovine growth hormone (rbGH) in 1994.
I drove five hours from my home to the CVM for 10:30 AM meeting. I was
surprised to recognize Kimberly Gorall in the lobby. Actually, she
noticed me. Kimberly is also on a long-term hunger strike and this is
also her 17th day. She drove down from Rochester, New York and became
the note-taker at our meeting. Kimberly incorrectly assumed that my
session with FDA was a public hearing. I am fortunate to have had
Kimberly there because she ended up being a witness to the two-hour
hearing and a very good note-taker.
These are the four FDA representatives at that meeting: Dr. Andrew
Beaulieu, Deputy Center Director; Dr. Claire Lathers, Director of New
Animal Drug Evaluation; Dr. Linda Tollefson, Director of the Office of
Surveillance and Compliance; and Dr. Marcia Larkins, CVM Ombudsman.
I feel that all of the issues and reasons for this hunger strike were
clearly and completely communicated to these four FDA employees. I also
feel that there is no way that Monsanto's hormone will remain on the
market. We protest with science as our tool and evidence, not emotion.
We are dedicated to complete our mission. We trust that these four
individuals will recognize their mission and fiduciary to the American
people.
*******************************
Wednesday, November 24 - Day 18
Today is Day 18 of my hunger strike. Tomorrow is the day of giving
thanks. I'd like all of those who read this to take a moment during
your Thanksgiving meal and reflect upon why we do the things we do. I
am motivated to seek the health and safety of my children and your
children. When I see a sick child, I do all I can to become an advocate
for that child. Nothing will ever deter me from that course.
Five days ago, I attended a session at the Center for Veterinary
Medicine and presented my argument for revoking Monsanto's genetically
engineered bovine growth hormone from the market. Kimberly Gorall took
notes of my presentation and FDA's responses. It is a luxury having the
gift of an eyewitness reporter, and I now reproduce her notes for you.
My presentation began and I said that there was an "open door policy
between FDA and Monsanto and that is the public's perception."
Furthermore, I said that "Monsanto's experiments were poor science and
FDA accepted them. Monsanto lied and defrauded the FDA."
The major part of my presentation revealed that "Monsanto acknowledged
the creation of a 'freak amino acid' in an obscure British journal. The
reason to take the drug off the market is that the hormone that is on
the market today is not the one that was approved."
I also discussed scientific evidence and reason for concern. After cows
are injected with rbGH, levels of IGF-I in their milk increase by about
80%. I gave FDA studies from peer-reviewed scientific journals
indicating that IGF-I has been named as a key factor in breast,
prostate, and lung cancers. I also furnished a study revealing that
IGF-I levels increase by a factor of 10% in people who drink milk. I
also discussed mandatory labeling of food products containing
genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Dr. Tollefson, Director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance,
asked, "How would you insure compliance with mandatory labeling?" My
response was that it is up to FDA to find those who don't comply.
Dr. Beaulieu, Deputy Center Director, asked, "Where do you think you'll
ultimately go with the milk argument?" I went into about a sixty-minute
discourse consisting of studies indicating that bovine proteins have
allergenic effects on humans, and that bovine hormones survive
digestion. Beaulieu asked, "How is it that mammals have evolved in the
presence of this substance?" I responded, "Milk is nature's perfect
food for infants and there is a different formula for every species.
One should not drink milk from another animal and certainly not as an
adult." Beaulieu then asked, "What about meat?" I responded, "IGF-I is
in meat but gastric acidity breaks down proteins in meat. Milk buffers
gastric pH."
Tollefson asked, "What about products other than fluid milk?" I
responded, "Those hormones are very powerful and casein is a tenacious
glue and very allergenic." Beaulieu asked, "Would milk from
rbGH-treated cows qualify for this label? The milk itself is not
genetically engineered." I responded, "Of course, it would, as would
all cheese and ice cream." Beaulieu then asked, " Would you call
biotech-created insulin genetically engineered?" I responded, "I love
genetic engineering, I don't love mistakes." Beaulieu asked, "What's
the purpose of the hunger strike? To get rbGH off the market?" I
responded, "Yes, and I don't want to die. I don't question your right
to put things on the market. I just want the right to know what I am
eating."
Dr. Lathers, Director of New Animal Drug Evaluation, asked, "What are
you seeking from us?" I responded, " Let's explore a process in which
everyone wins."
I do not hate Monsanto and I have no fear of biotechnology. When
mankind makes errors, we must correct them. To not do so is to not act
as a fiduciary. When we betray people, we commit a crime. Monsanto
betrayed FDA and, in doing so, betrayed all Americans, and their drug
must be immediately removed from the market. That is why I and nearly
200 other people are fasting for one day or longer. I hope that you
hear us and fairly examine our petition.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and say a prayer for those who continue
to consume the genetically engineered and unlabeled poison.
******************************
Thursday, November 25 - Day 19
Today is the nineteenth day of my hunger strike. Happy Thanksgiving!
Let us give thanks!
Here's to the Pilgrims, who stole the seed corn from the Abenaki Indians
as they sailed up the coast towards their Plymouth Rock landing.
Here's to the 15 Pilgrim mothers who died the first winter because the
100 Mayflower Pilgrims were forced to sell their food, 4000 pounds of
butter before leaving England. (Fifteen out of eighteen married women
died, while only one out of eight single women died).
Here's to Miles Standish, who married one of the single women a
few months after his wife's death!
Here's to thousands of Wampaunoag Indians who fell in love with rancid
butter at the first Thanksiving feast, and then died of Yersinia
bacterium (bubonic plague). Yersina is one of many bacteria found in
today's milk.
Here's to all of you who eat turkey, thankful that somebody other than
you has what it takes to slice through the throat of the bird you eat.
Here's to the bird herself, whose life and painful death brings you
indigestion and extra weight.
Here's to the glass of milk you drink with your apple pie and the Tums
you take for the inevitable upset tummy.
Here's to one hundred and eighty people who have fasted for at least one
day in support of our protest.
Here's to the ten people who are fasting long-term.
Here's to the FDA, who have given all of us an enormous gift...I will
tell you all a BIG SURPRISE on Monday. Each day we accomplish
something, and that becomes a tiny step towards changing the world for
the better. One-hundred tiny steps add up to a giant stride for
mankind. FDA has done something wonderful, but I must keep the secret,
as promised, until Monday evening.
At that time, in my journal entry, I will reveal some very exciting
news!
Here's to you and your loved ones: Happy Thanksgiving!
****************************
Friday, November 26 - Day 20
Today is the twentieth day of my hunger strike. I harvested the wheat
grass that I started a few weeks ago...about eight inches tall! I wish
that I had a wheat grass juicer...my Acme juicer was a bit inefficient.
I juiced the greens and got about 1/2 ounce. I ran the pulp through the
machine for a second, then third time. I managed to squeeze out one
full ounce of juice which went into a shot-glass.
Remembering the tequila-drinking days of my youth, I quickly downed the
dark green fluid. WOW! That was intense...a real brain cleanser.
Anyway...I treated myself to a movie this evening, INSIDE JOHN
MALKOVICH. There was one scene in this brillantly written movie, in
which J.M. enters the portal to his own brain. This was easily the
funniest thing I have ever seen...There was a moment in which I was
laughing so hard, that I entered my own body...felt my heart beating and
brain throbbing...everything moved in slow motion.
Does a 20 day hunger strike make one more aware of his senses? I smell
perfume from long distances and know meat eaters by their scent. I am
more aware of whispers and my hearing has become sharper. All senses
are keener, and I have more energy than when I was eating. Rather than
suffer from discomfort, I enjoy the unique perspectives coming to me.
I feel that I can travel outside of my body.
Those who have experienced what I am now experiencing also report a
sharpening of the senses...a keenness of sight and vision and hearing...
This unexpected gift is more than spiritual... I feel so very alive!
******************************
Saturday, November 27 - Day 21
Today is the twenty-first day of my hunger strike.
I have received a wonderful response to my appeal for
you to fast for one day or more and support our
hunger strike. Ultimately, my wish is to
present thousands of supporting names to FDA.
The genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH) should
immediately be taken off of the market. Monsanto
tricked the FDA. They have a completely different drug
on the market than the one that FDA approved. They
changed the formula and did not tell FDA. Never before
has an insult like this occurred. Monsanto should be
fined and their executives jailed. Laboratory animals
got cancer from this hormone (Richard, Odaglia and Deslex
study) and FDA should act immediately to revoke rbGH.
AMERICA has been betrayed.
FDA must immediately act.
As each day passes, and rbGH remains on the market,
the MONSANTO lie continues.
Many of you have asked:
What can I do to make a difference?
1) Join us for a fast of one day or more!
2) Send the HUNGERSTRIKE.COM link around the world!
3) FAX a letter to the FDA!
4) Alert your local media!
We have before FDA a petition seeking the removal of the genetically
engineered bovine growth hormone.
The Deputy Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine
is Andy Beaulieu, MD. Dr. Beaulieu has the petition
to revoke Monsanto's hormone.
Send a letter to Dr. Beaulieu. Your letter becomes a permanent
part of FDA'S file.
His fax number is: 301-594-1830.
The petition number is 99P-4613.
****************************
Sunday, November 28 - Day 22
Today is the twenty-second day of my hunger strike.
In tomorrow's journal entry I will reveal an exciting secret.
I have promised to wait until Monday... you will understand
tomorrow.
Today I discovered the essence of an apple.
How much we take for granted that very special fruit.
I bought a bushel of apples... Winesaps and Cortlands,
Maintosh and Delicious, Gala and Granny Smith. I washed them
and quartered the fruit and ran them through my juicer.
Oh, the bouquet that filled my kitchen. I strained any
residual pulp and took a sip of fresh apple cider. Heaven.
Boiled apple juice is an insult to the apple's wonderful
nectar. Pasteurized apple cider sold in supermarkets is
a crime against Mother Nature's gift. Apple cider, freshly made,
is filled with live enzymes and nutients. One can taste the life!
I drank the juice... no, I ate the juice, keeping each mouthful
in my mouth... imagining the life-sustaining compounds to be
absorbed into my cheeks. The tastebuds of my tongue were alive.
I swallowed, and delighted in the smell and taste of this
sweet liquid.
I made a gallon of fresh cider in the afternoon. In the evening,
I juiced one bag of fresh cranberries... brain food, say the juice books.
Mixing the apple and cranberry juices togther, that became my dinner.
I fast, and continue to burn away fat cells and protein. The juice
will keep my brain strong, and allow me to reason. I will not be
confined to a bed. This hunger strike may not be so, in the strict
sense of the word. I produce juice, therefore I am. Would Gandhi have
done the same if he had access to Juiceman infomercials? Perhaps...
Tomorrow I prepare for my Washington adventure. More tomorrow.
****************************
Monday, November 29 - Day 23
Today is the 23rd day of my hunger strike. I promised you a major
announcement on this day and I'll give it to you at the end of this
column. First, I'd like to tell you about a magazine that I subscribe
to called "American Dairy Farmer." The November issue just arrived at
my house, and I am stunned by what I read. The headline of the front
page story is "Holiday Butter Prices to Benefit Consumers." The
headline appears next to a picture of an obese dairy farmer, wearing a
plaid shirt and a big smile. Last year, the wholesale price of butter
reached $2.81 a pound and now the price is under $1.00. The dairy
industry has been brainwashing the American public with their unhealthy
milk mustache campaign and now they're attempting to brainwash their own
readers into believing that things are rosier than they really are.
Demand for milk continues to plummet. That was reflected a few weeks
ago when the wholesale price of milk that farmers were receiving (for
100 pounds of liquid milk) fell from $16.49 to $11.72.
The front page of this magazine also includes an advertisement from a
company that sells organically grown garlic, which is used as a natural
antibiotic for cows. In the ad, a farmer claims that the somatic cell
count (number of pus cells in one quart of milk) has been reduced from
600 million to 180 million in just four months.
A page three story reveals that the milk processors will be funding a
new $180 million television ad campaign geared to children ages 6 to 11.
Now for the very big news that I promised you last week. I have been
asked to keep the secret by top level administrators at the Food & Drug
Administration. On Thursday, November 18, I was in Chicago testifying
before the FDA's Biotechnology and Food Labeling Committee. I was angry
and offended by the entire process. The morning was spent listening to
a panel discussion, and the panel unfairly represented the issues. Many
of the panel members had relationships with Monsanto. A few times I was
so incensed that I left my chair and walked out of the auditorium.
The following day at the Center for Veterinary Medicine, I spent two
hours presenting the science behind my petition to revoke the
genetically engineered bovine growth hormone to FDA scientists and
administrators.
On Monday of last week, I returned home and spent the entire day calling
and criticizing FDA personnel for the extremely biased treatment that
was given to America on that day in Chicago. I spoke with Robert Lake
who is America's delegate to CODEX, an organization made up of 134
nations seeking to standardize food labeling issues. I told Mr. Lake
that I felt that he was "in bed with" Monsanto. I called "Monsanto's
whore."
Let this be my apology to Mr. Lake.
The following day, Robert Lake called me at home after consulting with
FDA Commissioner Jane Henney, MD. They asked me:
"How would you like to be on the panel in Washington? We will allow you
5 to 10 minutes to address your comments and then participate in a panel
discussion that will be heard by 500 people in the room."
I may be fasting and may not have as much energy as when I am eating,
but I could have done a double flip over my house when I heard those
words. I know that America's media will be at that meeting. CNN will
cover it as will the major networks and newspapers. FDA has changed and
is now about truth. By giving me this opportunity to tell America about
Monsanto's fraud, Monsanto's lies, and Monsanto's deceit, FDA has made
this a better world and leveled the playing field.
*****************************
Tuesday, November 30 - Day 24
Today is the 24th day of my hunger strike, and I'm calling this one in
from Washington, DC. I must have done about two dozen interviews with
major media outlets including radio, television, newspapers, and
magazines. The world will soon know of Monsanto's scientific fraud and
deceit.
There is absolutely no reason for Monsanto's genetically engineered
bovine growth hormone to remain on the market. I taped my ten-minute
presentation and I'll be returning home tomorrow. I'll get the
transcript on-line in a few days.
Meanwhile, I feel great. Rachel came down from Philadelphia and helped
hand out flyers to the crowd of 500. Thanks to her for all her help.
*******************************
Wednesday, December 1 - Day 25
Today is Day #25 of my hunger strike. I have spent an enormous amount
of time and energy criticizing our Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
During yesterday's panel discussion in Washington, I found out just how
real FDA employees are. While I am on a hunger strike and not eating, I
sat in on a breakfast and lunch buffet for the panelists and FDA
administrators, and had the opportunity to discuss the issues on this
hunger strike with many of those people "in power."
The Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine is Steven Sundlof,
MD. I have previously accused Dr. Sundlof of being one of the "good old
boys," and have criticized the appearance of his favoring Monsanto. In
my book MILK--The Deadly Poison (p. 124), I reproduced a letter that Dr.
Sundlof had written to the president of the Agriculture Committee of the
European Parliament after that body had placed a moratorium on the use
of rbGH. Dr. Sundlof's letter to Frederich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf
reflected anger and frustration. It seemed to me at the time that Dr.
Sundlof was as unhappy about Europe's bad news as was Monsanto.
In a small room, while breaking bread (I drank bottled water), I had the
opportunity to discuss with Dr. Sundlof the mechanisms by which protein
hormones in milk survive digestion. The same proteins in steak would be
easily digested. Milk buffers gastric acidity and homogenization makes
fat molecules 10 to 100 times smaller. These micronized liposomes
(smaller fat molecules) envelope protein hormones, giving them safe
passage through the intestines where they are absorbed intact into the
bloodstream.
I further discussed recent evidence with Dr. Sundlof proving that levels
of IGF-I increase by a factor of 10% in blood serum of those who drink
milk. Furthermore, I rehashed old evidence that called IGF-I the key
factor in the growth and proliferation of breast, prostate, and lung
cancers. Finally, I reminded Dr. Sundlof that IGF-I levels increase
after cows are treated with Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine
growth hormone, and that IGF-I in humans and cows in identical.
The panel discussion was a very valuable and rewarding experience. What
might have been more significant was the opportunity to meet with and
discuss "real science" with members of FDA in an informal and friendly
setting.
Tomorrow I will print a transcript of my comments from yesterday's
Washington panel.
******************************
Thursday, December 2 - Day 26
The FDA Testimony - as promised
[Robert Cohen appeared on an FDA panel in Washington on Tuesday,
November 30, 1999…some of you may have seen his speech on C-Span…Mr.
Cohen spoke last, and each of the other panel members read prepared
statements. Members of the panel also included Mildred Cody, who
represented the American Dietetic Association; Mario Teisl, a professor
of economics at the University of Maine; John Gray, president of the
International Food Service Distributors Association; Kendal Keith,
president of the National Grain & Feed Association; and Richard Caplan,
an environmental advocate with the US Public Interest Research Group.]
Testimony 11-30-99
******************
Hi everybody, I've got to apologize first - I don't have a prepared
statement like the other panel members. All I'm going to give here is
some facts.
I have a copy of the Federal Register. It says here advertising this
meeting:
"FDA is not aware of information that will distinguish genetically
engineered food as a class from other foods."
[ROBERT COHEN TURNS AND ADDRESSES FDA PANEL MEMBERS.] I'm going to give
you some information today, guys.
The greatest controversy in FDA history was the approval process for
Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. We shouldn't
be here today! We should not be in this room and I shouldn't be here
because, in 1994, Congress HAD A BILL that was going to require
mandatory labeling of all foods that were influenced by genetic
engineering. I got my Congresswoman to co-sponsor that bill - 181
congresspeople co-sponsored that bill, and you know what? I learned how
Congress works that year because in 6 months they stalled the bill - 12
members of the Dairy Livestock & Poultry Committee - they stalled the
bill until the 1994 session of Congress expired and the bill died.
I was so upset, I investigated these 12 men and found that collectively
they took $711,000 in PAC money from companies with dairy interests, and
four of the members of the committee took money directly from Monsanto.
Now we've got a lot of political intrigue and some real science here.
We've got science fiction, we've got a combination of John Grisham and
we've got a combination of Stephen King.
Nikita Khrushchev said that what the scientists have in their briefcase
is terrifying - [ROBERT COHEN THEN OPENED HIS BRIEFCASE AND PULLED OUT
A STACK OF PAPERS] and I've got some interesting things in my briefcase
to share with you today.
When Monsanto made their genetically engineered bovine growth hormone,
they noticed a couple of problems right towards the end - right before
approval. They noticed that laboratory animals were getting cancer, and
they noticed that cows were getting mastitis, ulcers in their udders.
They were putting more pus and bacteria into the milk. So Monsanto
arranged…
We've heard from Dr. Maryanski this morning, and Dr. Maryanski talked
about the Pure Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act but what he didn't tell you
was that in 1958, Robert Delaney, a congressman from New York, added the
Delaney Amendment which was named after him. The Delaney Amendment
stated that if a food additive caused cancer, it was not to be approved
- a pretty good law - right?
Monsanto got their attorney, Michael Taylor from the firm of King &
Spalding… By the way, when they started in 1979, they groomed their
attorney who is now in the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas, from the same
law firm.
Anyway, Monsanto's attorney, Michael Taylor, wrote and minimized the
Delaney Amendment- he wrote a scientific paper that was published in the
"Journal of Toxicology". Lawyers -they write in law review journals,
but this lawyer wrote in the "Journal of Toxicology": "a De-Minumus
interpretation of the Delaney Amendment" became the new protocol, the
new standard operating procedure at FDA. They minimized cancer.
Michael Taylor was hired by the Food & Drug Administration, and became
the second most powerful man there, Monsanto's attorney - he wrote the
standard operating procedure. In other words, if you see cancer, ignore
it. Margaret Miller and Suzanne Sechen, Monsanto's scientists, were
hired by the FDA to review Monsanto's own research.
Margaret Miller knew cows were getting mastitis. The first week at the
FDA, December 3, 1989, she was given broad power, and here's an affect
of genetic engineering nobody has considered. She knew cows were
getting sick from the genetically engineered hormone. She changed the
amount of antibiotics that farmers could have in their milk. She
changed it from 1 part per 100 million to 1 part per million - this is a
fact! She increased it by 100 times.
There is a hero of mine in the audience, Michael Hansen from Consumer's
Union - Consumer's Union tested milk in the New York metropolitan area
and found the presence of 52 different antibiotics in milk samples.
FDA published on August 24, 1990, the first time ever in a peer-reviewed
journal, in "Science". "Science" was started by Thomas Edison in the
1880's. They published a review of bovine somatotropin -bGH -the
genetically engineered cow hormone. And in that review, there were
seven tables of data. Five of those tables came from one study authored
by Richard, Odaglia and Deslex. This is the famous "90-Day Study." Guess
what? This was actually a study lasting for 180 days and when I first
heard about this in 1994, I filed a Freedom of Information Act Request
for that study - because I saw from the data that the average spleen of
a lab animal increased 46%.
I called FDA and spoke with Dick Teske. I said, "46%? You said there
were no biological effects!"
He said, "That's not statistically significant."
I said, "Well, let me see the raw data."
He said, "It's a trade secret."
I called Monsanto, they laughed at me. They said, "It's a trade secret
and you will never see it."
I'm smart, I filed a Freedom of Information Act Request, but I
didn't realize you can't find out the study. I went to Federal Court, I
said, "Your honor - spleen increase of 46%, that's leukemia in 90
days!"
I met with FDA on April 21, 1995, and found out that this was actually
a 180-day study.
In Canada, they had this study. I have a letter here [ROBERT COHEN
REACHES INTO HIS BRIEFCASE], an internal memorandum:
"This is to advise you that the copies of reports, letters, etc. for
drug submissions have been stolen from my files."
This was stolen from a scientist's file in Canada. They stole the second
half of the "90-Day Study."
We've got real science here. I'm going to talk briefly about the real
science because when Monsanto made this hormone, they had to tell the
FDA - they had to draw a chart of every amino acid - the 191 amino
acids. And when FDA wrote their paper in "Science" magazine they wrote
that one amino acid changed - it was a different hormone than the
naturally occurring one.
At the same time, somebody hired C. Everett Koop to come and say that
genetically engineered milk and the good old wholesome milk is
indistinguishable. Well, it wasn't. Something happened to the hormone
that Monsanto made. The FDA said that there was one change in the
endamino acid. It became epsilon-N-acetyllysine. FDA had written if
there was a change in the middle of the protein, there could be
disastrous results. They cited Jerome Moore. I got Jerome Moore's
paper. It said if there is a protein change in the middle, there could
be Alzheimer's or sickle cell anemia or diabetes.
Four months after the hormone was approved, one of Monsanto's
scientists, Bernard Violand, published in the July 3, 1994 issue of the
journal "Protein Science" evidence that Monsanto made a mistake.
Oops! Monsanto created a freak amino acid. Did you ever see that movie
"The Fly" with Jeff Goldblum when the fly comes in and he becomes
half-human and half-fly? Monsanto created a freak amino acid. Monsanto
admitted it but didn't tell the FDA. [ROBERT COHEN TURNS AND POINTS TO
THE FDA PANEL MEMBERS].
Gentlemen, the hormone that's on the market today is different than the
one you tested for seven years. Monsanto spent 500 million dollars,
submitted 55,000 pages of information to you, learned late in the
process that they created a freak amino acid - that's what was tested on
laboratory animals and it didn't matter because FDA said to Monsanto,
you know something? It's safe because when you pasteurize milk, you
destroy the hormone.
They performed this research up in Guelph, Ontario by Paul Groenewegan,
and I've got his study. [ROBERT COHEN AGAIN ADDRESSES FDA PANEL MEMBERS]
To this day, FDA thinks -it's on your web page - that 90% of the bovine
growth hormone is destroyed by pasteurization. But what Paul
Groenewegan did working with Ted Elasser and Brian McBride, two Monsanto
scientists, was he pasteurized milk for 30 minutes at 162ºF, and when I
read that - I said, wait a second, milk is pasteurized for 15 seconds at
that temperature - not 30 minutes. They intentionally tried to destroy
the hormone, they only destroyed 19% of it - somebody lied. And at that
moment, FDA said to Monsanto:
"Because you destroy it by pasteurization, you don't have to do further
toxicology studies. You don't have to develop a test for this hormone
in milk. It's now safe to drink."
They (FDA) developed a zero day withdrawal - they determined it was safe
to drink.
We have a lot of political intrigue here. We have an interesting
situation where people have said that a revolving door policy exists at
FDA. I mean, where is the ex-FDA commissioner, guess who he is working
for? He is working for Monsanto. Bob Dole ran for President, his Chief
of Staff was Donald Rumsfeld (ex-president of Searle, owned by
Monsanto). I have one last comment…
[AT THIS POINT, THE MODERATOR INTERRUPTS MR. COHEN AND TELLS HIM TO WRAP
IT UP AND TO ADDRESS LABELING…]
I know, but we have a labeling issue here - we have a right to know - I
have listened to comments about "multi-faceted educational effort that
we need" - that's called brainwashing! I don't want a "multi-faceted
educational effort" - I want a double helical structure (AUDIENCE
APPLAUDS) on a piece of food that I'm going to buy in the supermarket
because I have a right to know.
Because the bottom line is - mistakes were made and when I hear from the
American Dietetic Association, [ROBERT COHEN ADDRESSES A MEMBER OF THE
AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION WHO PREVIOUSLY SPOKE AGAINST LABELING], I
want to remind you that Monsanto gave you $100,000 to set up a toll-free
hotline about the bovine growth hormone.
Mistakes were made! We've got political intrigue here and the bottom
line is we have a right to know what we are eating. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
********* End testimony 11-30-99
****************************
Friday, December 3 - Day 27
Dear Friends,
Today is the twenty-seventh day of my hungerstrike.
Rachel's photo is next to mine on the LONG TERM portion of this website.
Many months ago, Rachel planted into me the seed for this hungerstike.
Yesterday Rachel decided that her body needed a rest from her fast, and
she will soon be eating food. She is listening to her body, and I urge
all people to do the same.
There is great wisdom and no shame in not continuing with me until
death. Many years ago, I used to go with my father to Madison Square
Garden to watch track meets.
We would cheer Marty Liquori as he attempted to run sub-four minute
miles.
Quite often, in the same race, there would be runners whose role it was
to set the pace and run a very fast first half-mile. These runners
would then drop out of the race and cheer from the sidelines along with
the crowd.
Rachel has given me great comfort and has been one of those runners. We
have spoken privately about her decision, which I support 100%. I have
not even once urged her to continue for another day... A few people have
criticized Rachel's decision, and this is hurtful to me and Rach. Many
people in the dairy industry delight in seeing what they believe to be
failure. There is no failure.
Americans are sending a clear signal to the dairy industry. On March
23, 1971, Richard Nixon received a $3 million dollar cash gift from the
dairy industry. The giving of that gift was recorded on a Watergate
tape. A few months later, Nixon set price controls for milk, and in
doing so guaranteed that the price farmers receive for 100 pounds of
milk would not fall below $9.90. One month ago, farmers were receiving
$16.49 for 100 pounds of milk. As we started our hunger strike, the
price of milk fell $4.77, a traumatic financial event for dairymen and
their families.
Next week, the wholesale price of milk will fall below the governmental
support price for the first time in history.
Our hunger strike is turning the eyes of the world upon FDA, waiting for
their decision to revoke the genetically engineered bovine growth
hormone. We are also reaching American milk drinkers with new evidence.
The genetic milk contains hormones which are dangerous for human health.
As milk sours on the shelves, farmers continue to inject more hormones
into their cows, producing more milk. Less demand, more supply. That
ends up with the worst kind of economic theory. In a free market, that
means disaster for farmers as prices plummet. When demand decreases,
one should not increase supply. That is what the dairy industry
continues to do.
Rachel wrote a letter explaining her decision and my reaction. I would
like to share that letter with you.
RACHEL'S LETTER:
"I had to write a note quickly and let you know that Robert was
ABSOLUTELY supportive of my decision. All along he has made it clear
that we each make our own decisions in this. If I fasted for one day or
for one hundred days or more, Robert would acknowledge that it is my
decision and be supportive of that.
Robert has completely validated my choice to temporarily go off the fast
and has been incredibly appreciative of my participation in the protest
as a whole. His first concern would always be for the health and well-
being of the participants and he would never want anyone to fast for one
minute longer than they felt was right for them.
Robert has made comparisons to climbing Mount Everest. I make
comparisons to running a marathon. He is fasting for the long haul.
I've run the first three weeks or so with him and I need to take a rest.
Others are running with him now in the fast. I will rejoin him down the
road and run alongside him again. Yet others are along the roadway
handing him cups of water or juice to replenish his strength. Still
others are along the roadway shouting words of encouragement. No one
person plays a more important role than the other, in my opinion. The
important thing to remember is that we are all in this together, no
matter what type of contribution we are making. Robert has stressed that
time and again - this is OUR hunger strike. It matters not to him that
I needed to stop fasting for a while. He trusts me enough to know that
I'm doing what I feel is best. In the long run I will be of much more
value to the effort as a whole because of taking this brief break from
the fast. I believe that, and I know that Robert does too."
*****************************
Saturday, December 4 - Day 28
Today is the twenty-eighth day of my hunger strike. One month, and
so much has happened. Yesterday was the worst day in the history of
America's dairy industry. Farmers witnessed wholesale milk prices fall
so low that many of them will not be able to remain in business.
I am proud to say that a result of my work has been to decrease
America's consumption of milk. By genetically engineering milk, there
has been an increase of milk production in response to the decrease in
demand, and farmers are feeling the pressure. However, I take little
pleasure in seeing such pain brought to dairymen and their families.
America's dairy farmers are among the hardest working people in America.
My comfort comes in knowing that their work ethic will allow them to
survive and prosper in any other field of work. I hope that many of
them pursue organic farming. I will then become a happy consumer and
will urge others to buy their crops.
There is a consequence of genetic engineering that few have previously
considered and that is one of economics.
Dairy farmers have been dealt the Queen of Spades, and many will see
their pasts and futures destroyed by Monsanto during coming months.
One year ago, farmers were getting $7.05 more for 100 pounds of milk
than they are getting today. Yesterday, the wholesale price of milk fell
to $9.79 for 100 pounds. At this level, farmers cannot even afford to
use Monsanto's genetically engineered hormone. They are dying a slow
death and are caught in failure's spiraling cyclone.
Many will have no money to pay their mortgages nor send their children
to college. No belt-tightening will stave off the inevitable. Monsanto
has destroyed them.
Twenty-five percent more milk in a market where the demand for milk is
shrinking make for a poor economic theory. Their solution? Produce
even more milk. As demand decreased, supply increased. As supply
increased, Monsanto marketed and sold more of the genetically engineered
bovine growth hormone.
It will be no different with soybeans or corn. It costs farmers over $3
to grow a bushel of corn, yet, this past year they were receiving $1.87
for that bushel. The solution? Grow more corn. Europe will not buy
our genetically engineered corn. Man's greed has dissolved into man's
tragedy. The consequences of genetically modified organisms are more
than just the health of human consumers and the environment. There are
economic concerns that may very well destroy America's farms.
I urge all dairy farmers to join me for one day of fasting. Let us send
a message to the FDA. We never wanted a hormone that would change the
milk. We did not need more milk. The hormone caused disease in cows
and cancer in lab animals. Monsanto's fraud became the dairy farmers
horrible destiny. Loss of business, loss of farm.
Let us all immediately ask FDA to revoke rbGH.
****************************
Sunday, December 5 - Day 29
Today is the twenty-ninth day of my hunger strike.
Yesterday, the three hundredth person pledged support to our cause.
Each member added to our team represents a special milestone, but three
hundred people pledging to not eat any food for a day or longer
represents a very special sacrifice. I am touched. We are a movement
and have become soldiers in this army of activism.
Nearly 25 centuries ago, the city-states making up the Greek empire were
threatened by an invading force of 200,000 troops from Persia. Nearly
1,000 ships sailed against Greece, but its citizens were unprepared for
such a threat. Athens relied upon Sparta for its primary defense, but
the Spartans were initially only able to put together an army of 300
warriors. The Spartan king, Leonidas, led his troops to a narrow
50-foot gap between the mountains and sea, and there began a classic
defense of that nation.
Three hundred soldiers saved the Greek empire, just as 300 of us are now
ready to etch our mark upon world history. They fought with passion and
determination, and held King Xerxes and his army at that pass for nearly
a week. That provided enough time for Athens to plan a strategy and
properly arm for battle. A few weeks later, an outnumbered Greek army
and navy routed the invading Persian force and won their victory, just
as we shall win ours.
Our weapons are not spears, and we do not kill our adversaries. We win
this battle with logic. With science. With facts.
The FDA has a decision to make, and they are now in a stalling pattern.
We seek to end a threat to all Americans. There is a poison in our
food. There was once a poison at FDA. The old guard has left and a new
administration rules. Our scientific data are being analyzed. Our
proof of previous scientific fraud and deceit is being reviewed by
senior FDA administrators.
We wage our battle by our hunger strike. We continue, trusting in the
wisdom of FDA reviewers. We are patient, but every day that passes is
another day that milk consumers are jeopardized.
We are at war, make no doubt about that. We have called upon FDA to
review our claims. Are they vigilant? Are they diligent?
Monsanto defrauded the FDA. The genetically engineered bovine growth
hormone now on the market is entirely different from the hormone that
was approved in 1994. Monsanto changed the formula and never told FDA.
That evidence has been presented to FDA. There is no dispute. Monsanto
is guilty. Time will place additional guilt upon FDA. They must act
immediately. We question that delay.
Must we use additional weapons? Perhaps a Congressional investigation
is appropriate. We rely upon FDA reviewers to do the right thing. Will
they? How long do we wait? This is a battle that is now being
fought on many playing fields. We hope and trust that FDA is our ally
and a friend to the American people. We know that Monsanto is not.
Last week, angry Americans rioted in the streets of Seattle at meetings
of the World Trade Organization. FDA is concerned that a similar
protest will occur in Oakland. On Monday, December 13th, FDA will hold
a hearing across the Golden State Bridge from America's traditional
hotbed of political protest, Berkeley, California.
We urge FDA to send a message to America before that meeting. Lies and
deceit will no longer be tolerated. Monsanto has poisoned America with
their bovine growth hormone. Canada fairly reviewed Monsanto's research
and rejected that hormone. So did Europe. Now is the time for FDA to
act. We consider FDA our protector and remind them of their fiduciary
duty.
The age of protest revisits America. We want peace and harmony, but let
FDA know that Seattle was the first warning. Please let us trust you,
and allow us to enter the new millennium as partners. Be our friend,
and not our enemy. The lines of battle are drawn.
Does FDA march with Monsanto or do they independently and fairly review
the evidence against a firm that lied and cheated?
To not act makes FDA as guilty as those who are the liars and deceivers.
***************************
Monday, December 6 - Day 30
Today is the 30th day of my diary. Many of you have written to me on a
daily basis asking about my health. The truth should be known, while I
have not eaten in 30 days, I haven't felt this good in many years. My
energy level is high, I need less sleep, and little aches and pains that
one associates with mid-life have ceased. Perhaps things might take a
turn for the worse after my 60th day or my 100th day of not eating.
Some of you have asked why I am on a hunger strike and have suggested
that I post a "button" with the hows and whys and meaning of this hunger
strike. Your advice is good advice, and I will do that today. Here is
what I will post:
The greatest controversy in the history of the Food & Drug
Administration was the approval process for Monsanto's genetically
engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH). Evidence submitted to FDA
reveals an enormous scientific fraud and political deceit perpetrated on
the American people.
Recently obtained scientific data indicated that Monsanto's hormone
caused cancer in laboratory animals.
FDA incorrectly concluded that there were no biological effects on lab
animals and assumed that rbGH in milk could not survive digestion. A
newly published study indicates that milk hormones increase 10% in human
blood serum.
Monsanto created a "freak amino acid" when they first made the bovine
growth hormone. They learned of this error after FDA had finished their
review, and they changed the formula without alerting FDA. The drug
that is on the market is completely different from the one that was
approved and must be immediately taken out of our food supply.
There is no ethical, legal, or scientific reason for FDA to continue to
protect Monsanto. We are on a hunger strike and will continue to remain
on a hunger strike until FDA honestly reviews out evidence. Such review
most certainly will end with FDA revoking rbGH.
My life and my possible death are dedicated to the children who have
gotten leukemia and other cancers similar to those seen in laboratory
animals. I will end my hunger strike only when FDA acts.
There is enormous evidence on this website. Please review the facts and
send an e-mail to FDA to let them know that you will no longer accept
such compromise and deceit. Please, if you can, join us for one
symbolic day and let us share your name with the rest of the world.
****************************
Tuesday, December 7 - Day 31
Today is the 31st day of my hunger strike. We are a small army.
Fighting a battle properly relies upon logistics, planning, and analysis
of data. We are, by our existence, an enormous threat to Monsanto.
Last year, Monsanto did $8.6 billion worth of business. Our hunger
strike could take away hundreds of millions of dollars of annual cash
flow and has the potential to severely damage, if not altogether
destroy, hundreds of billions of dollars of future genetically
engineered biotech sugarplums.
Do you imagine that Monsanto will rest and not do anything about our
efforts?
In October, I registered and opened the hungerstrike.com site. I began
my hunger strike on November 7th. In early October, I began discussions
with Monsanto urging them to remove the bovine growth hormone on their
own. I alerted a few senior level Monsanto executives that I was going
to file a citizen's petition with FDA.
The reason why I am writing these things in today's journal entry is
because another website opened during the month of October. That
website is www.harvest-moon.org. The owner of that website is Paul
Dennis. Mr. Dennis has e-mailed every person on the hunger strike list
with lies about the amount of people visiting the hungerstrike.com
site. Please be aware that we have received over 5,000 visits from
people at FDA alone.
Mr. Dennis pretends to have our best interests at heart, yet the opening
sentence of his letter is, "Robert Cohen's hunger strike is not going
well." He then continues in his letter to tell you that "your sacrifice
will be for nothing." He then offers advice on how to increase traffic
to a site.
A review of the guestbook on my first website, www.notmilk.com, reveals
1,440 letters. I challenge anybody to find any guestbook on the
Internet with more passionate responses to any issue than what the
notmilk guestbook has generated.
Mr. Dennis' expert advice and knowledge does not apply to his own
website. His guestbook contains 18 letters. The hungerstrike.com
contains over 100 letters. The first letter in his guestbook comes from
an angry critic. Normally, when one sets up a webpage, one first sends
news of that page to colleagues and friends.
Mr. Dennis has written a letter to my guestbook (record #83) in which he
"slams" the advice of the three doctors listed on this site. Dennis
calls fasting "the polite word for starvation." In that letter posted
on 11-26, he writes that there is "clear evidence that almost nobody is
listening, why should Monsanto and FDA care about the hunger strike?"
Dennis criticizes the fact that I have removed the counter from the
page. Last week, many of you may have seen that the website is now more
user-friendly and easier to load. At the same time that I removed the
counter, I also removed the graphic containing my book and tape, which
were for sale. The site now loads more easily.
STRATEGY
Remember friends, Monsanto has a multi-billion dollar investment. Mr.
Dennis may or not be an infiltrator. However, with friends like this
who needs enemies? The hunger strike will be the subject of three major
magazine articles next month, and I am currently working with a
television crew from one of America's network news magazine shows.
There are also other surprises in store that some of you know about, but
will not be pre-published on this site so that they achieve the greatest
publicity effect.
Should Mr. Dennis wish to post a comment to the guestbook, that comment
will be posted in its entirety. Please be aware, however, that the
apple that Mr. Dennis extends to you may not be offered with the best of
intentions, and I urge you to read his comments and then exercise your
control over your delete button.
******************************
Wednesday, December 8 - Day 32
Today is the 32nd day of my hunger strike. Tomorrow I will present the
following to the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington,
DC. Milk contains hormones. That is what our hunger strike is about.
USDA is holding hearings about obesity in America. The following is a
part of my presentation. It may shock you:
OVERWEIGHT IN AMERICA - GOT MILK?
Throughout history, obesity and wealth have been directly proportional.
Aristocracy has always benefited from the creme de la creme of man's
food supply, and overeating of rich foods has been reserved for the
rulers of both primitive and civilized societies.
Today, starvation and malnutrition are directly proportional to poverty
in most world nations. America is the exception. In the United States,
being poor often means being overweight.
Poor children in America's inner cities are often roly-poly fat
children. Drive by any schoolyard in America's inner cities and
overweight kids are the norm, not the exception.
Children, lacking in proper nutrition at home, are now the beneficiaries
of school breakfast and lunch programs.
What food group is the most subsidized in America?
Milk and dairy products.
On March 23, 1971, President Richard Nixon was taped accepting a $3
million dollar cash gift in the oval office. John Connally soon entered
and commented: "These men are adamant, they're militant and they're
massing an enormous amount of money to place into political activities."
Milk is now mandatory for school lunch programs.
Milk contains powerful growth hormones, fat, and cholesterol. The most
powerful growth hormone in the human body is identical to the most
powerful growth hormone in a cow's body. That hormone instructs every
cell in the human body to grow.
Bovine hormones in milk survive digestive processes and act to turn our
children into bovine-like creatures.
Milk contains powerful hormones. Rates of sexual maturity in children
are astounding endocrinologists and behavioral psychologists. A recent
study revealed that eighty percent of nine-year-old African-American
girls had breast development.
Children are becoming overweight at an early age. By eating growth
hormones in combination with animal fat, the body has a way of listening
to the signals of those chemical messengers: GROW!
Many children of color live below the poverty level. In its wisdom, the
United States Department of Agriculture provides free food and
nutritional programs for these kids. In its lack of wisdom, USDA has
chosen milk and dairy products to be the major components of these kids'
diets. These children now receive free breakfasts of cereal with milk,
free lunches of chocolate milk with macaroni and cheese or pizza. A
free snack before they go home is more chocolate milk.
In Japan, every year since 1946, tens-of-thousands of persons have been
interviewed and their diets carefully analyzed along with their weights
and heights and other factors such as cancer rates and age of puberty
(the last measured by the onset of menstruation in young girls). This
study includes detailed personal interviews and is well respected and
accepted by scientists. In 1975, 21,707 persons from 6,093 households
were included in the sampling. The results of the study were published
in a respected scientific journal, Preventive Medicine (Yasuo Kagawa,
Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical School, Japan, 7, 205-217,
1978).
Japan had been devastated by losing a war and was occupied by American
troops. Americanization included dietary changes. Milk and dairy
products, relatively unknown to Japan, were becoming a significant part
of the Japanese diet. According to this study, the per capita yearly
dietary intake of dairy products in 1950 was only 5.5 pounds. Twenty-
five years later, the average Japanese ate 117.4 pounds of milk and
dairy products.
What happened to young girls and the impact of milk consumption on
puberty is dramatic. In 1950, the average twelve-year-old girl was 4'6"
tall and weighed 71 pounds. By 1975, the average Japanese girl, after
guzzling a daily diet of milk and dairy products containing 59 different
bioactive hormones, had grown an average of 4 1/2 inches and gained 19
pounds. In 1950, the average Japanese girl had her first menstrual
cycle at the age of 15.2 years. Twenty-five years later, after a daily
intake of estrogen and progesterone from milk, the average Japanese girl
was ovulating at the age of 12.2 years, three years younger.
Ten pounds of milk are required to make one pound of cheese. In 1960,
the average American ate ten pounds of cheese. Today, the average
American eats thirty pounds of cheese. Concentrated growth hormones in
the presence of fat and cholesterol do just what they were designed to
accomplish. Milk and dairy products represent 40% of the average
American's diet, 666 pounds per year per person.
GOT FAT? GOT MILK!
*****************************
Thursday, December 9 - Day 33
Today is the 33rd day of my hunger strike. I am saddened by what is
happening in America and recall the days of student activism in my
youth. In 1968, students and police clashed in the streets of Chicago
at the Democratic Convention. Inside the arena, Senator Abraham
Ribicoff of Connecticut grabbed the microphone and denounced the
Gestapo-like tactics in the streets outside the convention hall. As he
spoke, Chicago's mayor, Richard Daley, had the Senator's microphone shut
off.
Our voice has also been shut off by the Food & Drug Administration
(FDA). FDA is conducting hearings on food labeling and biotechnology.
The first hearing was in Chicago and the second in Washington D.C. At
the same time that the second hearing was being held, students were
clashing with police at the World Trade Organization (WTO) hearings in
Seattle. Many of these protesters, dressed as monarch butterflies and
genetically engineered tomatoes, were frustrated by having no say in
WTO's process.
FDA has been so concerned about a similar demonstration at their Oakland
hearing scheduled for December 13, 1999 that they are imposing the most
incredulous Gestapo-like censorship at this third and final "public"
hearing. Notices of such meetings must be published by law in the
Federal Register. After this notice was published, the FDA changed the
location. Calls have been made from my office everyday this week to
find the new location but FDA continues not to reveal any of the details
about their so-called public meeting. Shame on the FDA!
We are on a hunger strike because FDA did not review or pay attention to
key evidence and adverse effects in laboratory animals from the
genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. It seems clear that FDA
is conducting themselves in a biased manner and, by their actions, are
motivating people to take to the streets. All we request is an honest
hearing. We do not care for the FDA's latest lack of integrity.
-----
I am now driving home from Washington having testified before USDA.
Many of my critics have accused me of writing absurdities in my daily
diary and of being delirious from a lack of food for 33 days. Perhaps
they are right. I just had the most unusual fantasy. Jimmy Carter
lusted in his heart and, in doing so, admitted that he committed
adultery. I just lusted in my heart for fried chicken. I'm driving
home and passing the rest stop and there is a big sign for KFC. I
haven't eaten chicken in three years and I don't intend to. But I do
remember how good it tastes and I do admit to having salivated when I
saw that sign. Such is the fate of a man on a hunger strike.
****************************
Friday, December 10 - Day 34
Today is Day 34 of my hunger strike. Yesterday's trip to Washington
reminded me of Fellini's "Satyricon." The surreal atmosphere and
absurdities of governmental hearings must be seen to be appreciated.
The purpose of the meeting was for USDA to receive comments from the
public on obesity in America. Thirty-five speakers appeared
representing a diverse assortment of interests and viewpoints. Most of
the experts addressing obesity were themselves obese. That seemed a
little funny to me. The three skinniest people there all made
presentations submitting evidence as to the benefits of a plant-based
vegetarian diet. They included Miyun Park from PETA; Alex Hershaft, a
well-known vegetarian activist; and Patricia Bertron from the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine.
There were some very curious and biased presenters representing agencies
such as the National Soft Drinks Association and the Sugar Association.
There was also a presentation from Michael Jacobson from the Center for
Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). This organization does not
represent my interests. They work closely with the dairy industry
endorsing Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Mr.
Jacobson also advocated a low-fat milk program for public schools.
It's not the fat in milk, it's the growth hormones. Those hormones are
powerful, and one in particular, IGF-I, is identical between humans and
cows. Forty percent of the average American's diet consists of this
powerful growth hormone. It should be no surprise that America's obesity
problem has reached epidemic proportions.
I experienced mixed feelings of amusement and anger when Barbara Moore,
the spokesperson for Shape Up America, gave her presentation. Her
concluding remarks were, "Although inappropriate food choices and a
total breakdown of portion control are vitally important factors
contributing to obesity, many of the societal changes that are
contributing to the growing prevalence of obesity in America have
nothing to do with nutrition."
Her concluding comment is particularly absurd when compared to her
opening statement. Dr. Moore said, "We live in a nation where children
do not drink their milk…"
Dr. Moore suggested that USDA's national nutrition summit planned for
May of 2000 be delayed until after the presidential election. I was
astounded when I heard these words. Here we have an epidemic of
obesity, and a group called Shape Up America wants to put off a
discussion of this problem. Go figure.
******************************
Saturday, December 11 - Day 35
Today is the 35th day of my hunger strike. I performed a
self-motivational act this morning. I battled the Christmas crowds and
went to Macy's and purchased a pair of pants 5 sizes smaller than the
pair I am currently wearing. While it doesn't fit yet, it should be a
perfect fit some time in mid-February.
Valentine's Day theoretically becomes the 100th day of my hunger
strike. Don't send chocolates. I say theoretically because the Food &
Drug Administration, in their wisdom, may take Monsanto's genetically
engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH) off of the market. I say
theoretically because who knows whether I'll live that long on this
hunger strike.
I have written about a "freak" amino acid that was transcribed when
Monsanto created rbGH. This week, Pete Hardin, the editor of a dairy
industry magazine, contacted me and asked for supporting evidence for
that statement. I had originally discovered that "gem" by reading
abstracts of scientific studies on MEDLINE, a database containing
hundreds of thousands of studies published in peer-reviewed journals. I
never actually saw the entire paper.
I searched through files and boxes and could not locate the study. I
sheepishly called back Mr. Hardin and apologized for my inability to
produce the reference. I blamed that inability on my parents who raised
me to become all of the good and bad I now am. Keeping records is not
my strong point. Hardin laughed and informed me that he had just
obtained the entire study from the University of Wisconsin Research
Library. I then learned that it was a lot worse than I had previously
concluded. Not only did Monsanto create a "freak" amino acid in the
#144 position, but they made errors in the #157 and #167 positions
also. Furthermore, Bernard Violand's paper cites a previously published
paper revealing that errors were made in the #171 and #180 positions as
well. That is a total of five different mistakes.
Please take note of the importance of this critically significant
finding.
When FDA scientists reviewed this enormous controversy, publishing a
paper in the August 24, 1990 edition of SCIENCE, here is what they
wrote:
"The primary sequence of these products was either the same as or
differed only slightly from pituitary-derived bGH. Differences occur
only NH-2 terminus end of the protein. Monsanto Agricultural company
product has a single amino acid substitute."
FDA did not even suspect what Monsanto already knew in 1991. When
Monsanto learned of the additional errors in 1993, a process was
developed to filter out the significant number of incorrect proteins
containing "freak" amino acids so that the product that is on the market
today is completely free of those genetically engineered mistakes.
HOWEVER…Monsanto's admission is also a condemnation of the entire
process of genetic engineering and FDA review. Monsanto's new hormone
is completely different than the one for which Monsanto submitted 55,000
pages of research evidence and testimony.
In order to get that hormone approved, Monsanto lied and deceived the
FDA, calling in favors from people in high places, having their lawyer
(Michael Taylor) writing the rules and regulations by which all
genetically-modified organisms are now governed. This is why we are on
a hunger strike.
****************************
Sunday, December 12 - Day 36
Today is the 36th day of my hunger strike.
Dear FDA:
You have visited this website over 6,000 times during the months of
November and December. You have been reading our message and have yet
to act on the real science submitted to you. Our demand is that you
immediately remove Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth
hormone form the market.
Tomorrow you will hear the voice of America. Tomorrow thousands of
people in Oakland, California will demonstrate at your biotechnology and
food labeling conference.
In the spirit of Christmas, we request that you carefully listen to
these voices. Know that our spirit cannot be conquered. Know that this
movement will grow. Know that activism exists because you give us the
reason to protest.
In the spirit of Christmas, we send you these words from our favorite
Noel:
"He knows when you've been SLEEPING,
He knows when you're awake.
He knows when you've been BAD or good,
So be good for goodness sake."
****************************
Monday, December 13 - Day 37
Today is the 37th day of my hunger strike. Somebody must be watching
because I'm getting a quite a few threatening letters and I've had to
disconnect my telephone during the overnight hours.
I would like for you to know about an organization that I wholeheartedly
support. Ronnie Cummings has been running the Organic Consumers'
Association for a number of years from his Minnesota home. At one time,
Ronnie worked and ran the Pure Food Campaign for Jeremy Rifkin.
Ron is a friend and I felt very bad when he wrote and told me about the
painful experience of receiving pepper spray in his eyes a few weeks ago
in Seattle. Ron's website has been informing consumers about the
dangers of genetically engineered foods: www.purefood.org. If you would
like more information, Ronnie's Organic Consumers' Organization can be
reached at 218-726-1443.
According to Ron, many companies routinely use genetically engineered
foods in their ingredients. Here are the toll free numbers for five of
those companies. Perhaps you will let them know how you feel:
Nabisco 800-862-2638
Kraft 800-543-5335
Heinz 888-472-8437
Kellogg's 800-962-1413
Proctor & Gamble 800-595-1407
Thousands of consumers will be protesting at the Food & Drug
Administration biotechnology conference in Oakland, California today. I
will review today's demonstration in tomorrow's newsletter. I hope and
pray that the passions in California streets do not reach the same level
of ugliness that they did a few weeks ago in Seattle. We protest
because we no longer trust the Food & Drug Administration. One very big
statement that FDA could make to America is to revoke the use of
Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Science and
logic dictate that they act immediately to do this. This is why we are
in the streets and future demonstrations will contain more protestors
with even greater passion.
*****************************
Tuesday, December 14 - Day 38
Yesterday was the third of three FDA public hearings on biotechnology,
genetic engineering, and labeling.
A crowd of 1,000 protestors was expected, but bad weather held back large
crowds. The Oakland Tribune reported that about 500 people attended a
noontime rally against genetic manipulation. State Senator Tom Hayden
addressed the crowd and promised to introduce a bill to get California
to require labeling of genetically engineered foods. Rally organizers
claimed that this was the largest genetic food protest ever heard in the
United States. After Hayden spoke, the crowd chanted,
"Hey, hey, ho, ho.
Frankenfoods have got to go."
Police had expected up to 5,000 protestors and came to the rally
anticipating a peaceful protest, unlike the police in Seattle. What
they expected is exactly what they got, and the peaceful protestors
carried signs such as "Get Your Pig Gene Out of My Tomato" and "Save the
Rice from the Splice."
Over the weekend, President Clinton made his weekly radio address,
speaking on food safety. Clinton said, "There's really is no such thing
as too safe. Food safety is part of our citizens' basic contract with
the government. Any food that fails to meet clear and strict standards
for safety should not make it to the marketplace."
We would like Mr. Clinton and all Americans to know that we have the
"goods" on Monsanto. Evidence has been submitted to the FDA that
Monsanto created five significant errors (different amino acids) when
creating the hormone that is now in dairy products. Despite the fact
that FDA approved that hormone because they concluded that there were
absolutely no effects on laboratory animals, recent review of Monsanto's
studies proves otherwise. We anxiously await and continue our hunger
strike as FDA scientists re-review our petition containing the real
science.
*******************************
Wednesday, December 15 - Day 39
Today is the 39th day of my hunger strike.
We are at war, have no doubt about that. Monsanto is the enemy and we
are trying to eliminate the threat which they represent. Monsanto is a
multi-billion dollar company with enormous resources. We are merely one
blade of grass in an endless forest. There is also a third party here
who like the Swiss in World War II maintain a semblance of neutrality
although we feel that they have a bias. The third party is the Food &
Drug Administration (FDA). In reality, Monsanto's employees have gone
to work for the FDA in the senior most of regulatory positions. At the
same time, FDA employees have left their pasture and have gone to work
in Monsanto's forest.
What we possess is truth. What we offer is real science. What we
continue to hold onto is a faith in a system and a faith in the basic
integrity of people. We refuse to accept further disappointment.
Our battle is being fought at FDA's drug evaluation and investigative
branch, the Center for Veterinary Medicine. Two weeks ago, there was a
skirmish in the streets of Seattle. Many of the demonstrators held
anti-Monsanto banners and wore Monarch butterfly costumes. Pollen from
Monsanto's bt corn has killed Monarch butterflies. On Monday, another
mini-battle was fought in the streets of Oakland at what turned out to
be the largest anti-biotechnology protest in our nation's history.
Today, a new line has been drawn. Another battle against Monsanto is
being fought on an additional front. The business section of today's
(Wednesday, December 15, 1999) New York Times reports:
MONSANTO SUED OVER USE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN DEVELOPING SEEDS
A group of attorneys has sued Monsanto because of "genetic pollution"
and the creation of "super weeds." Heading the case is Michael
Hausfeld, the Washington attorney who previously defended Alaskan
natives in the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The suit was filed by a group of
farmers inspired by consumer advocate Jeremy Rifkin. Mr. Rifkin was
recently paid $5,000 to speak at a Monsanto conference. Rifkin was
criticized for accepting that money and for selling out by many
anti-Monsanto activists who felt he was giving away information. All
the while, Rifkin was a spy within their midst, and his suit, my
petition, our hunger strike, and your continued protests might very well
fell the trees in Monsanto's forest.
Today is the 40th day of my hunger strike. The dairy industry will be
celebrating my Noah-like anniversary by deluging America with their new
milk mustache ads-Everybody Loves Raymond starring comedian Ray Romano.
I've got a long list of people who do not like Raymond including yours
truly. Milk mustache ads are misleading and deceptive. Raymond urges
people to drink milk to "help shut down osteoporosis." Recent science
reveals that women who drink milk and eat cheese as teens grow up to
have higher rates of pelvic and forearm fractures.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) does not care
for Raymond's message. This group of 6,000 physicians just filed a
lawsuit against the USDA for their misleading and dangerous advice in
their dietary guidelines reflected in their food pyramid. Milk causes
significant problems for African-Americans. The basis of the PCRM suit
is that USDA's guidelines are not racially balanced.
One other man who has no love for Raymond is Steve Milloy, owner of the
"Junk Science" website. Mr. Milloy has just filed an action with the
Federal Trade Commission urging them to place a ban on Ben & Jerry's Ice
Cream. It seems that Milloy tested this "healthy" ice cream and found
unsafe levels of dioxins.
Last summer, Belgium's dairy industry closed because samples of milk
were tested and found to contain 100 times the safe levels of dioxins,
the most dangerous and carcinogenic chemicals on this planet. Ben &
Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream tested out to have 200 times the safe level.
Might it not be appropriate for our government agencies to test all
dairy products and ban their use if they are deemed to be dangerous for
human consumption?
One other man who has mixed feelings about Raymond is Pete Hardin,
editor of the dairy industry newsletter, THE MILKWEED. In the latest
issue of his well-respected and well-read newsletter (issue #245,
December 1999), Hardin urges dairy farmers to contact the FDA to ban the
use of Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Hardin
writes,
"Robert Cohen: Enemy of Mine Enemy? Credit Robert Cohen with unveiling
the significance of Monsanto's rbGH 'switcheroo.' Cohen, a New Jersey
resident, is an ardent dairy critic. He believes that dairy products
are ill-advised for the adult diet. Cohen originally got into this fray
by researching FDA's questionable human safety considerations and
extended his concerns to all dairy products. Ironically, the citizen's
petition Cohen filed with the FDA, which demands the agency immediately
halt Posilac sales, represents dairy's best short-term solution for
saving the souls on its sinking ship. In this case, Cohen is the "enemy
of dairy farmer's enemy'-Posilac…the major source of unneeded milk.
Dairy farmers and organizations should vigorously support Robert Cohen's
petition."
In September, dairy farmers were receiving $16.26 per 100 pounds of
milk. Today, they are getting $9.79, and forecasts are that prices will
drop even further. Raymond may love milk and everybody may love
Raymond, but America's health safety is at risk as a result of rbGH use
and the financial health of dairy farms has also been compromised.
******************************
Thursday, December 16 - Day 40
Today is the 40th day of my hunger strike. The dairy industry will be
celebrating my Noah-like anniversary by deluging America with their new
milk mustache ads-Everybody Loves Raymond starring comedian Ray Romano.
I've got a long list of people who do not like Raymond including yours
truly. Milk mustache ads are misleading and deceptive. Raymond urges
people to drink milk to "help shut down osteoporosis." Recent science
reveals that women who drink milk and eat cheese as teens grow up to
have higher rates of pelvic and forearm fractures.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) does not care
for Raymond's message. This group of 6,000 physicians just filed a
lawsuit against the USDA for their misleading and dangerous advice in
their dietary guidelines reflected in their food pyramid. Milk causes
significant problems for African-Americans. The basis of the PCRM suit
is that USDA's guidelines are not racially balanced.
One other man who has no love for Raymond is Steve Milloy, owner of the
"Junk Science" website. Mr. Milloy has just filed an action with the
Federal Trade Commission urging them to place a ban on Ben & Jerry's Ice
Cream. It seems that Milloy tested this "healthy" ice cream and found
unsafe levels of dioxins.
Last summer, Belgium's dairy industry closed because samples of milk
were tested and found to contain 100 times the safe levels of dioxins,
the most dangerous and carcinogenic chemicals on this planet. Ben &
Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream tested out to have 200 times the safe level.
Might it not be appropriate for our government agencies to test all
dairy products and ban their use if they are deemed to be dangerous for
human consumption?
One other man who has mixed feelings about Raymond is Pete Hardin,
editor of the dairy industry newsletter, THE MILKWEED. In the latest
issue of his well-respected and well-read newsletter (issue #245,
December 1999), Hardin urges dairy farmers to contact the FDA to ban the
use of Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. Hardin
writes,
"Robert Cohen: Enemy of Mine Enemy? Credit Robert Cohen with unveiling
the significance of Monsanto's rbGH 'switcheroo.' Cohen, a New Jersey
resident, is an ardent dairy critic. He believes that dairy products
are ill-advised for the adult diet. Cohen originally got into this fray
by researching FDA's questionable human safety considerations and
extended his concerns to all dairy products. Ironically, the citizen's
petition Cohen filed with the FDA, which demands the agency immediately
halt Posilac sales, represents dairy's best short-term solution for
saving the souls on its sinking ship. In this case, Cohen is the "enemy
of dairy farmer's enemy'-Posilac…the major source of unneeded milk.
Dairy farmers and organizations should vigorously support Robert Cohen's
petition."
In September, dairy farmers were receiving $16.26 per 100 pounds of
milk. Today, they are getting $9.79, and forecasts are that prices will
drop even further. Raymond may love milk and everybody may love
Raymond, but America's health safety is at risk as a result of rbGH use
and the financial health of dairy farms has also been compromised.
****************************
Friday, December 17 - Day 41
Today is the 41st day of my hunger strike. This year, 43,300 women will
die from breast cancer. It says so right on page 733 of my World
Almanac. That is an average of 118 women per day, or 1 every 12
minutes. Can one measure the physical pain and mental anguish in each
breast cancer case? Should we not direct all of our positive energies
towards finding a cure, and all of our negative energies towards the
culprit?
Today's edition of the New York Times (Friday, December 17, 1999)
contains the obituary of Cathy Hainer. I enjoyed reading Cathy's
columns. She was a reporter for USA Today, and she died yesterday at
the age of 38. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, she
turned to her boyfriend and said, "I'm 36 and in love. How could I
possibly have cancer?" Her final column, which I read in an airport on
December 6th, told the story of a letter found on the body of a soldier
comparing death to the sailing of a ship.
Thousands of things cause breast cancer and it is rather common. An
autopsy study published in the New York Times (11/8/94) revealed that
40% of women between the ages of 40 and 50 have breast cancer but that
it is normally controlled. Science has taught us that a key factor in
the growth of every breast cancer is the most powerful growth hormone in
the human body, IGF-I (Lancet, 5/9/98).
IGF-I is an identical hormone between humans and cows. When cows are
treated with the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, levels of
IGF-I increase by about 80%. When women drink milk, levels of IGF-I
increase in their blood serum by a factor of 10%.
Cathy Hainer is dead and those who knew and loved her mourn her
passing. One hundred and eighteen women will die today from the ravages
of breast cancer, and few, if any, of their loved ones will know about
IGF-I and the milk connection. The Food & Drug Administration knows.
They have our petition. We wait for them to act.
Every day that passes another 118 women die, and we continue our hunger
strike, requesting that FDA honestly assess the real science.
******************************
Saturday, December 18 - Day 42
Today is the 42nd day of my hunger strike.
What do I do on a normal day? What do I put into my body? First, let
me tell you what I do not do. Many people have asked whether I am
taking vitamins or supplements, protein powder, or any of the New Age
"miracle" cure-alls, such as green algae. The answer to all of those
questions is "No, none of the above." My hunger strike has become more
for me than a political statement. It is a spiritual body cleansing. I
would not take anything made in a factory, and sustain myself by freshly
made juices from fruits and vegetables.
Each morning, I begin my day with the juice from a freshly squeezed
lemon in a tall glass of bottled spring water. I open up a gallon of
water each day and use that water to dilute the juices I drink and to
brew an occasional cup of herbal tea. I use the tea called "Mu" sold by
the macrobiotic guru Kushi.
I juice apples and enjoy fresh apple cider. This morning, I juiced a
dozen oranges and I am enjoying that juice while driving (and dictating
this journal entry) into New York City. Last night, I juiced one pound
of carrots and a beet, and drank a 12-ounce glass of life-sustaining
juice. The liquid from the beet is bloody red and the essences and
enzymes so contained will keep me strong and alert. I lose about one
pound each day, while my body in its wisdom decomposes fat and stored
tissue that it can afford to selectively lose.
The enormous cellular metabolism and breakdown of my tissues releases
many years of stored toxins into my bloodstream. By drinking plenty of
water, I am eliminating those toxins. The largest organ in the human
body is the skin. When we sweat and when we slough off skin follicles,
we also eliminate by-products of metabolism that our body no longer
requires. When I shower I vigorously massage and wash away that dead
skin with a natural sponge.
My favorite juice combination uses a mix of fresh apples and
cranberries. My least favorite juice drink combines spinach, parsley,
garlic, and cabbage. I have read many books on juicing and recognize
the value of the nutrients and enzymes in green plants, but I still hate
the taste.
I drink to sustain myself and to remain strong in body, mind, and
spirit. I feel change in my body and know that the day will soon come
when this hunger strike begins to take a toll on me. Yesterday, I wrote
about a breast cancer death. Each day I'm inspired by my friends and by
the children, for they are the ones for whom this fast is dedicated.
******************************
Sunday, December 19 - Day 43
Today is the 43rd day of my hunger strike.
I have been receiving an enormous amount of mail, telephone calls, and
EMAILS from friends and adversaries. Many people wish me good fortune,
but many wish me harm. Occasionally, there is a threat and, on rare
occasions, a death threat.
I take death threats seriously and report all such warnings to the
appropriate authorities. My file grows larger. I receive occasional
letters from one man in the dairy industry who I will identify as "Jim
from Oregon." This man has posted many letters to my guestbooks and has
been monitoring the NOTMILK movement for a number of years. Oh well,
everybody needs a hobby, and I am happy to be Jim's minor obsession. TO
JIM: Keep your borborygmus statements coming my way! As Rowan and
Martin used to say on LAUGH-IN, "Look that one up in your Funk'N
Wagnall!"
Today I received a charming EMAIL message from Jim, who wrote:
"Here's a thought for you and yes you have my permission to use it in
your very next diary entry or whereever. Have you considered the
possibility of donating you organs when you die from this fake hunger
strike? The brain, not having been used previously, would make a great
gift to Dave. And the other organs could be used by those who need
them. Of course not having gonads you won't be making a contribution in
that dept. but that's just as well. By the way, how much weight have you
lost on this fake hunger strike that sounds more like a liquid diet to
me? Scan your NJ driver's license and put it up on the webpage along
with your current weight. I'll bet there's no diff!"
I must say, Jim has me pegged. No brains, no gonads. I like it when an
opponent underestimates my strengths. Perhaps Jim missed the following
editorial in the recent issue of the dairy newsletter, THE MILKWEED.
Thousands of dairy farmers receive this newsletter, and Hardin mentions
the hunger strike, supports our mission, and urges dairy farmers to join
us. We have accomplished a lot, and will continue to do so. Not bad
for a guy with no brains or gonads!
*************
Pete Hardin - December, 1999 MILKWEED, Issue #245
The Hardin Plan - Part 1: Halt Posilac Use
"Imagine U.S. dairy farmers as passengers on a ship that has struck a
rock and is sinking fast in stormy seas.
Milk supplies and imports are exceeding commercial dairy product demand.
Cheddar cheese and milk powder prices are at support price levels.
Butter could follow soon.
Starting in January, many dairy farmers face net farm milk checks in the
$9.50-$10.50 per cwt. range. If they last very long, these milk prices
will kill many producers financially and spiritually.
Huge losses are piling up fast for many marketers-especially operating
dairy cooperatives. With
commodity prices in the pits and so little demand for raw milk,
marketers' margins and inventory losses are huge.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in cheese and butter inventory values
have been lost just by Midwest marketers in the second half of 1999.
Dairy farmers on this sinking ship face tough choices. To try to save
the ship, immediate action is needed to lighten the load. A couple
percentage points of excess farm milk production must be dumped, pronto.
But what, or whom, to throw overboard?
Solution: Immediate FDA ban on Posilac There's a simple solution to
dairy's current dilemma: demand that the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) immediately ban the sale and use of "Posilac"
Monsanto's recombinant cow growth hormone that boosts milk production in
injected cows.
How could that action be pulled off quickly?
A current citizen petition to FDA demands that the agency halt sales of
Posilac because the genetically-engineered hormone molecule marketed by
Monsanto is DIFFERENT from the molecule on which human and animal safety
tests were conducted - tests that led to FDA's approval of the drug.
Logic and law dictate that the molecule being marketed should be the
exact same one on which pre-approval human and animal safety tests were
conducted.
Monsanto's hormone molecule "switcheroo" was revealed in a July 1994
article in the journal Protein Science, authored by Bernard Violand, a
Monsanto scientist. Violand reported that an unrecognized additional
amino acid sequence change occurred in the original production process
of Monsanto's recombinant bovine growth hormone. The "freak" amino acid
actually appeared at three sites on the hormone's sequence, Violand
reported.
Why did not FDA require a full round of new safety tests for the
different hormone molecule?
Violand's revelation is not startling news. The Milkweed has previously
reported this fact. But current events make the switched rbGH molecule's
importance great. Those events include: global anti-biotech food fervor,
dire farm milk prices, and lack of other short-term solutions to restore
farm milk prices. If the dairy industry could immediately throw one item
off the sinking ship to save the industry, Posilac is the best
candidate. We must immediately eliminate the top couple percentage
points of milk production.
Not only should FDA ban sale of Posilac immediately, pending a new round
of legitimate human and animal "safety" tests, but all existing
inventories of Posilac held by farmers should be confiscated. A single
amino-acid sequence change in a protein molecule can be significant.
For example, humans suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia have a single
genetic amino acid sequence change. By law, FDA ought to revoke
Monsanto's license to sell Posilac until the manufacturer runs a
complete new gamut of human and animal safety tests. Such a dictate to
Monsanto would effectively kill Posilac. Monsanto, whose food
biotechnology investments are causing the company to struggle, doesn't
have the funds for several years of Posilac safety tests.
Immediate impacts: less milk, higher prices If FDA yanked Posilac, the
impact on milk production would be immediately negative. Prices of dairy
products and farm milk would soon start climbing. Here's why:
* Probably 20-25% of all U.S. dairy farms use Posilac, normally on half
or less of their lactating cows. Various reports indicate a 6-8 pound
daily gain in treated cows' milk production. That's a lot of extra milk.
* Posilac creates a metabolic dependency. Thus, many dairy cattle
accustomed to the |
