Bipartisan, Bicameral Dairy Pride Act Reintroduced in Congress
(WASHINGTON, DC) U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (WI-D) and Jim Risch (ID-R) are bringing the Dairy Pride Act back to Congress after a failed attempt at passing it in 2017. According to DairyReporter.com, the move comes on the heels of the resignation of Scott Gottlieb from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act (also known as the DAIRY PRIDE Act) would require non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae to no longer be labeled with dairy terms such as milk, yogurt or cheese. The bipartisan legislation has also been introduced in the House. Current FDA regulations define dairy products as being from dairy animals, but the FDA has not enforced the labeling regulations and the mislabeling of products as has increased rapidly. Gottlieb opened a comment period, that has since closed, which could produce the same outcome. If FDA fails, the DAIRY PRIDE Act would require the agency 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 for accountability hearings.