January 28, 2017 by Chris

Can “Soy Milk” Be Called “Milk”?

Not according to U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D, Wisconsin), self-proclaimed champion of Wisconsin dairy farmers, who earlier this month introduced legislation in Congress to “combat the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products.”

Taking her cues from the PATRIOT ACT for unnecessarily complicated legislative acronyms, Baldwin’s Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act — or, sigh, the DAIRY PRIDE Act — would “require non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae to no longer be mislabeled with dairy terms such as milk, yogurt or cheese.”

According to Baldwin:

The 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.

It’s unclear whether the protectionist legislation will make headway, but Casein Chief will report on developments as they happen.