Amid unparalleled coverage of the introduction of a new technology for milk production, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in late 1993 a synthetically produced hormone for cowscalled recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rbST-for commercial sale in the United States. Consumer-watch groups questioned the safety of milk and dairy products for human consumption from dairy cows receiving rbST, and some dairy suppliers and grocery stores indicated that they would not sell the products. Many want products made with milk from cows receiving rbST to carry labels. FDA, the Federal agency primarily responsible for determining the safety of new animal drugs and for labels on milk and dairy products, says these fears are unfounded. After considerable testing (the first study reporting results of rbST-supplementation of dairy cows was in 1982), they found rbST use to be safe to dairy cows and they found dairy products made with milkfrom treated cows to be safe for human consumption. The FDA Commissioner, David A. Kessler, has stated, "This has been one of the most extensively studied animal drug products to be reviewed by the agency. The public can be confident that milk and meat from bST-treated cows is safe to consume."