e foisted upon us in the name of free trade·like dairy products from BST-treated cows, the genetically-engineered non-rotting tomato, or hormone-laced US beef."
The EU also promulgated the Third Country Meat Directive that requires meat packing and processing plants located outside of the EU to comply with specific health and safety provisions before products from those plants are certified for import into the EU (United States Trade Representative, 1995, p. 111). The United States challenged this directive claiming that it is a violation of GATT agreements. The EU and the US negotiated some changes to the directive that have allowed additional US packing houses to export to the EU. This case is one wherein American meat producers are able to sell products of questionable safety in the US and then demand to be allowed to also sell such products elsewhere.
Bovine somatotropin (BST) was approved for use in dairy cattle in the United States in 1993 (United States Trade Representative, 1995, p. 110). BST is said by the United States Trade Representative (1995, p. 110) to be "a naturally-occurring protein hormone, produced by innovative biotechnology a." If the hormone truly were naturally occurring, of course, it would not be necessary to produce it through the application of innovative biotechnology.
The contention of proponents is that BST will increase milk production substantially in dairy cattle (United States Trade Representative, 1995, p. 110). BST, however, is not widely used in the United States because of strong and strident consumer objections to the hormone. The EU has prohibited both the use of the hormone and the importation of products from cattle which have been fed or injected with BST. The United States has protested this action. Although American producers cannot, because of public pressure, use BST in the production of goods for sale in the American market, they nevertheless demand the right to foist s...