A Wisconsin Senator has re-introduced legislation that would limit dairy terms to real dairy products.

Senator Tammy Baldwin recently re-introduced the Dairy PRIDE Act with minor changes from last session. She tells Brownfield, “There’s some modest changes that have been requested by the Farm Bureau and by the milk producers relative to some guidance that FDA put out a few years back that was basically not very helpful. The bill would address those.”

Baldwin says America’s dairy farmers work hard to bring nutritious, natural milk, cheese, butter, and other products to consumers, and imitation products should not be confusing consumers.

Baldwin says she’s hopeful the Dairy PRIDE Act can get across the finish line this time, perhaps attached to the next farm bill. “It is a strong bipartisan bill this year. We’ve picked up more support than we’ve had in prior years. We’re very proud of that.”

Baldwin says dairy farmers have to work hard to meet standards of identity in order to call their product milk, cheese, butter, yogurt and other dairy names. She says the Food and Drug Administration is not enforcing its own standards. Baldwin says, “These plant-based alternatives don’t have to meet any of these standards and can go ahead and call themselves milk, yogurt, butter, etcetera, and it’s because they’re imposters, because they’re immitations, they’re cutting into dairy’s business.

Baldwin says the latest rendition of the Dairy PRIDE Act is in committee, and she would like to see it included in the next farm bill.

Another dairy-related bill Baldwin is backing is House Ag Committee Chair Glenn GT Thompson’s Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act which would return whole milk to school meal programs. Baldwin says she’s hopeful this bill can overcome a couple of objections from Senate members and then move very quickly to passage.

Source: Brownfield Ag News / Larry Lee