Ingredient Index

Is rBGH Milk banned in Europe?

Banned in EU

Yes: the EU has prohibited recombinant bovine growth hormone since 1990 (made permanent in 1999), while the FDA has permitted it in US dairy herds since 1993.

CAS: 35390-33-3 Also seen as: rBGH, rBST, Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin, Posilac

What the EU does

Banned. The EU imposed a moratorium on recombinant bovine somatotropin in 1990 and made the prohibition permanent with Council Decision 1999/879/EC: the hormone cannot be administered to dairy cattle in the EU. The stated grounds were animal welfare (the EU's scientific committee found rBST increases lameness, mastitis, and reproductive problems in cows), alongside consumer-confidence concerns.

Notably, the EU's human-health case was the weaker one, and Brussels has mostly argued welfare. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan also prohibit it.

Citation Council Decision 1999/879/EC (permanent rBST prohibition)

What the US does

Legal since 1993, when the FDA approved Posilac, concluding milk from treated cows is indistinguishable from and as safe as untreated milk, a finding most international reviews of the human-health question have broadly supported. The debate that persists centers on modestly elevated IGF-1 levels in milk and on the animal-welfare record.

The market has voted anyway: retailer and consumer pressure has pushed rBST out of most of the US supply, and Walmart, Kroger, and most major dairy processors require rBST-free milk. Labels saying so must legally add that "no significant difference has been shown": the FDA's line, printed by court-tested compromise.

Citation FDA approval of Posilac (1993); FDA guidance on rBST labeling

Products that commonly contain it

Where rBST can still appear in the US chain:

Conventional milk without an rBST-free claim
Cheese and butter made from conventional milk pools
Whey protein from conventional dairy streams
Ice cream from non-certified suppliers

What to look for on a label

Dairy labels carry more information than most:

"From cows not treated with rBST/rBGH", the voluntary claim most major US brands now carry
USDA Organic milk is rBST-free by rule
Imported EU dairy is rBST-free by law
No US label is required to disclose rBST use; absence of a claim is the only signal

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Frequently asked questions

Is rBGH banned in Europe?

Yes. The EU barred recombinant bovine somatotropin from 1990 and made the ban permanent in 1999 (Council Decision 1999/879/EC), primarily on animal-welfare grounds.

Is rBGH legal in the United States?

Yes. FDA-approved since 1993. In practice most major US retailers and processors now require rBST-free milk, so its use has declined sharply.

Is milk from rBGH-treated cows harmful to humans?

Regulatory reviews, including the FDA's and international assessments, have not established human harm; the hormone is species-specific and largely digested. The strongest documented effects are on the cows (more mastitis and lameness), which is the EU's stated basis for its ban.

How do I buy rBGH-free milk in the US?

Look for "from cows not treated with rBST" on the label, or buy USDA Organic, which prohibits it. Most store brands at major chains are now rBST-free.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed June 10, 2026 · How we assign statuses