U.S. Senators introduce act to combat non-dairy product mislabeling

WASHINGTON (KIFI) - U.S. Senators are working to protect America’s dairy industry and ensure plant-based imitation products are not considered equal to real dairy products in upcoming dietary guideline changes.

Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) joined Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) to urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) “to carefully consider any changes to the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) that could add plant-based imitation products into the dairy category, despite their nutritional differences.”

“We are concerned about potential efforts to add plant-based imitation products to the dairy group within the DGA,” the Senators wrote. “Existing research has shown that plant-based alternatives are indeed not nutritionally equivalent to dairy.”

The Senators expressed their concerns that putting imitation products in the dairy category nutritionally equates the products, even though imitation products often have added sugar and lower protein.

“We believe that it is important that consumers understand the nutritional value of the food and beverages that they choose to purchase and consume, and that the federal dietary guidelines they may turn to reflect evidence-based science,” the Senators wrote. “As you consider potential updates to the DGA pertaining to dairy, we ask that you ensure sound scientific evidence to support any statements which nutritionally equate plant-based alternatives with real dairy.”

That’s why Senators Risch and Baldwin introduced the DAIRY PRIDE Act to fight what they are saying is the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products that use dairy names. The Act requires non-dairy products made from nuts, plants, seeds, and algae not to be mislabeled with dairy terms like milk, cheese, or yogurt anymore.

“When people pick up something, [and] it says ‘milk’ or has a picture of a cow on it…they expect they're getting a genuine, healthy, nutritious dairy product. In some cases, it's not,” said Senator Risch. “[Non-dairy product manufacturers] should not be able to label it [so] that it is misleading and causing consumers to mistake it for a dairy product.”