Does cow's milk contain oestrogen or other hormones?
Cow's milk contains naturally occurring hormones like oestrogen, but their levels are too low to affect consumers. Artificial oestrogen treatments and growth hormones, such as BST, are banned in Australian dairy production.
Last updated 31/01/2025
There are a range of naturally occurring hormones in cow's milk, including oestrogen, progesterone, prostaglandin, and cortisone, all of which are present in very low concentrations. These hormones are naturally produced by cows, and when consumed, they are broken down by digestive enzymes and not absorbed in their active form.
While the use of artificial oestrogen treatments could increase hormone levels in milk, the Australian dairy industry has banned the use of oestrogen drugs in milking cows since 2008.
This ban followed the European Union's prohibition on dairy imports from cows treated with oestrogen hormones. In addition, synthetic Bovine somatotropin (BST), used by some American dairy farmers to boost milk production, is strictly prohibited in Australia, ensuring Australian milk is free from artificial growth hormones.
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