Yoplait going rBGH-free by August

General Mills recently announced that it has made the commitment to eliminate by August 2009 milk sourced from cows treated with rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin), a synthetic hormone also referred to as rBGH, in the production of its category-leading Yoplait® yogurts.

“We estimate that more than 70 percent of our milk is already coming from cows that are not treated with rBST,” said Becky O’Grady, General Mills’ vice president of marketing for the Yoplait brand. “We are committed to reaching 100 percent no later than August.”

O’Grady said consumers are demonstrating greater support for milk and milk products from cows not treated with rBST.

The announcement is significant because Yoplait is the 19th largest dairy processor in the country and has a 35% share of the yogurt market.

Rick North, project director, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility’s Campaign for Safe Food, hailed General Mills’ decision as another victory in the growing movement to ban rBGH from dairy products in the United States. “Our congratulations and thank you goes to Yoplait for taking this important step toward making the US food supply safer and more sustainable,” North said.

Further, North said that Yoplait’s announcement puts pressure on the other leading yogurt maker, Dannon, to also go rBGH-free.