Monsanto Company

Monsanto Responds To Independent Television News Request On BST

Letter to Mr. Andrew Veitch Independent Television News (ITN) London, U.K.

Dear Mr Veitch:

I am writing in response to your request for Monsanto comments regarding the March 1999 report on bovine somatotropin (BST) issued by the European Commission Directorate General XXIV on public health aspects of the use of BST and the January 1999 decision by Health Canada on the same subject. Below is our response for inclusion in your broadcast this evening.

"Monsanto stands by the record of BST human and animal safety clearly established by regulatory agencies around the world and in the milking parlors of thousands of dairy farmers over the last decade. Dairy producers in Brazil and Mexico have successfully used this product for nearly 10 years without animal health concerns. Additionally, over 13,000 United States dairy producers, owning over three million cows (30 percent of the US dairy herd), successfully use BST. The product was successfully used by dairy farmers in a total of 17 countries in 1998.

Sales of BST by Monsanto have increased at least 30 percent a year for the last three years in the United States. Such strong product acceptance by dairy farmers could not have occurred without the product delivering real benefits including economic dairy management and healthy productive cows.

Regarding the DGXXIV report, Monsanto agrees with the statement issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, April 13, 1999, when they stated that "The conclusions of the DGXXIV report with respect to the safety of IGF-1 do not appear to be consistent with the current state of scientific knowledge." (NOTE: A copy of the full FDA CVM Update is attached.)

On January 21, 1999, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, in a letter to U.S. Senators, stated that "In recent months, FDA has completed a comprehensive, page by page audit of the human food safety sections of the investigational new animal drug file and master file supporting the rbGH approval...Based on this audit, FDA has reaffirmed that rbGH is safe for human consumption."

Further demonstrating the safety of BST, Health Canada affirmed January 15, 1999, human food safety related to the ingestion of milk from cows supplemented with BST. Referencing the Canadian Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons committee, Health Canada said "We have concluded, at this time, based on current scientific knowledge, that there appear to be no food safety or health concerns related to rbST or IGF-1 residues in milk or milk products and meat from rbST treated animals."

I appreciated the opportunity to visit with you on April 21, 1999. As I stated at the time, I was prepared to answer any and all of your BST questions as background for your program. However, you indicated that you had all of the information you needed and had no questions for me. At the time you also indicated that you had copies of all of the documents I offered to send to you, including the U.S. General Accounting Office, Oct. 19, 1994, statement finding "no transgressions" on the alleged conflicts of interest involving M. Taylor, M. Miller and S. Sechen.

Sincerely,

Gary F. Barton Biotechnology Communications