In an effort to stop the practice of mislabeling non-dairy products as actual foods made from milk, a bipartisan groups of lawmakers in both the House and Senate have reintroduced legislation requiring products made from nuts, seeds, plants and algae to no longer be marketed with terms like milk, yogurt or cheese. Originally sponsored in early 2017 and then again in 2019, the ‘DAIRY PRIDE’ Act stands for: The Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act.
“Dairy farmers in Wisconsin work tirelessly every day to ensure that their milk meets high standards for nutritional value and quality,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin, who of the bill’s main authors. “Imitation products have gotten away with using dairy’s good name for their own benefit, which is against the law and must be enforced. Mislabeling of plant-based products as ‘milk’ hurts our dairy farmers.”
Baldwin says current Food and Drug Administration regulations define dairy products as being from dairy animals. However, the agency has not enforced these labeling regulations.
As part of the measure, the FDA would be required to issue guidance for nationwide enforcement of mislabeled imitation dairy products within 90 days and require the FDA to report to Congress two years after enactment to hold the agency accountable for this update in their enforcement obligations.
The announcement sparked an outpouring of support and praise from state and national farm groups on Thursday, including the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Wisconsin Farmers Union, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Midwest Dairy Coalition, and National Milk Producers Federation.
Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection