GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — There's a movement in Congress to try and help America's dairy farmers.
Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin is among four members of congress from dairy-producing states who have re-introduced legislation to combat misleading labeling of imitation dairy products.
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.
Local farmers support the bipartisan bill, which has 33 co-sponsors in the U.S. House.
The bill also would require the Food and Drug Administration to issue guidance for nationwide enforcement of mislabeled products. Current regulations define dairy products as being from dairy animals, but the FDA has not enforced the rule.
“Research has shown that customers are confused by the way dairy imitations are presented in the marketplace. Mislabeling is not tolerated in most sectors of the economy, but it is pervasive in the dairy aisle,” Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative President Brody Stapel said. “It’s frustrating to see the inaction by the FDA to correct the problem.”
“We are excited to see Senator Baldwin re-introduce this bill, telling the makers of plant-based imitations that they need to play by the rules, while supporting real dairy products produced by Wisconsin’s farmers and processors,” Stapel said.
