Regulatory Affairs: Helping Good Ideas Advance While Fighting the Bad Ones
September 7, 2022
Highlights
- Developed strategies to maximize benefits of sustainability provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act, a key accelerator towards meeting the dairy industry’s 2050 sustainability goals
- Helped shape the upcoming FDA antibiotic residue sampling assignment to ensure farmer and cooperative needs are being met
- Advanced development of the FARM Biosecurity module, bringing in on-farm elements from the Secure Milk Supply Plan for continuity of business as herd-threatening diseases make headlines around the world
- Seized a once-in-a-generation opportunity, collaborating with USDEC and Dairy Management Inc., to host the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit in 2023
- Prepared NMPF’s response to an expected FDA guidance on the use of dairy terms in plant-based beverages while arguing the need for labeling integrity before the agency.
Regulatory work often focused on building upon past successes and slowly erasing regulatory mistakes. NMPF regulatory staff’s wide breadth of issues in 2022 including monitoring the development of the new WOTUS rule and the evolving PFAS regulations to expanding NMPF’s nutrition presence through the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Women, Infant and Children supplemental nutrition program.
Critical support to the organization ran across the full scope of regulatory efforts. The Inflation Reduction Act passed in August includes numerous provisions that may benefit dairy farmers, but only if their revenue and carbon-reduction possibilities are maximized. NMPF regulatory staff are working with dairy farmers and stakeholders across the industry to enhance opportunities.
NMPF collaborated with FDA, state officials and industry to develop a new antibiotic residue sampling program being administered by FDA. NMPF sits on the NCIMS Appendix N committee to ensure dairy farmer needs are being met during the development of such programs.
Herd-threatening diseases continue to pop up around the world from high pathogenic avian influenza in the United States to foot and mouth disease threatening to enter Australia. NMPF through the National Dairy FARM Program is continuing to expand the suite of biosecurity resources available for dairy farmers to work to protect their herd and employees from a potential outbreak.
The United States is set to host the 2023 International Dairy Federation World Summit in Chicago, Illinois. NMPF, working with USDEC and DMI, is a key player in developing the agenda for the conference which is set to highlight the United States dairy industry.
In light of the draft guidance “Labeling of Plant-based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements; Draft Guidance for Industry “being sent to the Office of Management and March for review before its potential release, NMPF continues to argue the need for labeling enforcement and transparency by FDA. While what the guidance outlines is unknown, NMPF continues to emphasize to FDA that any guidance which does not align with the standards of identity regulations is in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act.
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