Why is American Milk Banned in Europe?

American dairy farmers inject rBGH to dairy cows to increase milk production.

rBGH is the abbreviation for recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone. It's the generic term for a genetically engineered, synthetic drug produced by the Monsanto Corporation. It also may be referred to as recombinant Bovine Somatotropin, or rBST.

rBGH is injected into dairy cows to increase milk production by 5 to 15 percent. An estimated 20 percent of the cows in the United States are given this hormone.

rBGH was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993, but remains one of the FDA's most controversial decisions.