A major dairy industry organization is throwing its support behind new federal legislation aimed at forcing stricter labeling rules for plant-based alternatives that use traditional dairy names.
The National Milk Producers Federation issued a statement backing the recently reintroduced DAIRY PRIDE Act, with President and CEO Gregg Doud criticizing federal regulators for allowing what he calls misleading marketing practices.
“FDA’s continued failure to enforce its own rules on the proper labeling of plant-based alternative products is a public health problem, plain and simple,” Doud stated. He emphasized that authentic dairy provides 13 vital nutrients, highlighting calcium, potassium, and vitamin D as particularly important for public health.
According to Doud, plant-based products that don’t match dairy’s nutritional profile have been permitted to suggest they’re equivalent to genuine dairy items, creating confusion among shoppers.
The proposed legislation would require the Food and Drug Administration to uphold existing dairy labeling standards that give specific meaning to terms like “milk,” “cheese,” and “yogurt.” These standards were originally created to ensure honest marketing and consumer protection.
“The DAIRY PRIDE Act directs FDA to enforce dairy standards of identity, which were developed to promote honesty and protect consumers,” Doud explained, arguing that current enforcement gaps allow plant-based companies to capitalize on consumer expectations while offering nutritionally different products.
“It’s high time FDA makes it easier for consumers to navigate the choices they face in the grocery aisles; the DAIRY PRIDE Act is an important step in the right direction. Dairy farmers and their cooperatives thank Reps. John Joyce and Josh Riley for their bipartisan leadership in finding solutions through this critical legislation,” he added.
Representatives John Joyce, a Pennsylvania Republican, and Josh Riley, a New York Democrat, reintroduced the bipartisan measure in the House of Representatives. The bill would classify food products making false claims about milk content as “misbranded” and mandate that the FDA provide enforcement guidance within 90 days for nationwide action against improperly labeled imitation dairy items.
