Dairy Labeling & Food Standards

Dairy products are an important part of a healthy diet for both children and adults. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, found that most Americans are not meeting recommended intake for the dairy food group. Consumers know that dairy products provide key nutrients necessary for healthy child development and for adult health. However, the labeling of plant-based alternatives as “milk” conveys a nutritional equivalency that is not accurate. The trend in mislabeling is expanding each year, and needs to be corrected.

Current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations define dairy products as being from dairy animals. Though existing federal regulation is clear on this subject, the FDA has not enforced to ensure accurate labeling and the incorrect use of the terms “milk,” “yogurt,” and “cheese” have increased rapidly. This hurts dairy farmers that work tirelessly to ensure their dairy products meet FDA standards and provide the public with nutritious food. It has also led to the proliferation of mislabeled plant-based alternative products that contain a range of ingredients and nutrients that are often not equivalent to the nutrition content of dairy products.

This bill would protect the integrity of milk by requiring foods that make an inaccurate claim about milk contents to be considered “misbranded” and subject to enforcement. The DAIRY PRIDE Act would require the FDA 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 Senate bill can be found here and the House Bill is here.