A toast to Wawa's hormone-free milk

Wawa is climbing on the hormone-free milk wagon.

The dairy store, which has been selling moo juice since 1902, has pledged to only produce milk that is free of artificial bovine growth hormones known as rBST. The hormone will be banned from all milk that Wawa processes and sells at its 570 stores in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.

Wawa will now only purchase raw milk from farmers who will sign affidavits promising not use artificial growth hormones in their cows. That will be reflected in a “Farmers Pledge” seal on the label of Wawa dairy products.

Cows naturally produce BST, but some farmers inject the artificial version rBST into animals to increase their milk production. The FDA says there's no significant difference in the milk but the practice has been criticized by consumer groups committed to natural products.

“An increasing number of customers are requesting dairy products free of artificial growth hormone, so we thrilled to be able to offer them the safest and most natural choice available in our market,” says Howard Stoeckel, Wawa president and CEO