Baldwin Presses FDA on Dairy Labeling Enforcement
Source: DairyNews.today
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin sharply criticized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday for what she described as its failure to enforce federal dairy labeling standards, accusing the agency of allowing misleading practices to persist.
During a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing focused on diabetes and obesity, Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, pressed FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and Deputy Commissioner Jim Jones on the agency’s handling of labeling rules.
Baldwin argued that consumers need clarity when shopping and said the FDA must uphold its own standards of identity regulations, which dictate how food products are labeled. “I’ve repeatedly asked the agency to enforce labeling standards and even secured funding for this purpose,” Baldwin said. “I’m very disappointed by the lack of progress made at FDA.”
The Senator took issue with the FDA’s 2023 draft guidance, which she said allows plant-based products to continue using dairy terms on labels, despite the voluntary nature of the guidelines. Baldwin contended this approach violated both the agency’s standards of identity rules and the Administrative Procedures Act.
Confusion arises, Baldwin said, when non-dairy products use the term “milk.” Jones, however, defended the existing framework. “The issue of using the term ‘milk’ requires clear characterization,” Jones said, adding that labels must specify the source, such as “soy milk” or “oat milk.”
Baldwin pushed back, arguing that the term “milk” should not appear on non-dairy substitutes. “Well, it would be cleared up if they didn’t use the term ‘milk,’ right?” she asked.
Baldwin also expressed concern over emerging products, including lab-grown, cell-based substitutes that use dairy-related terminology. She called for a comprehensive FDA enforcement plan to address labeling for both plant-based and lab-grown products.
The debate underscores broader tensions over food labeling standards as consumer preferences shift toward alternative products in the U.S. market.
Baldwin argued that consumers need clarity when shopping and said the FDA must uphold its own standards of identity regulations, which dictate how food products are labeled. “I’ve repeatedly asked the agency to enforce labeling standards and even secured funding for this purpose,” Baldwin said. “I’m very disappointed by the lack of progress made at FDA.”
The Senator took issue with the FDA’s 2023 draft guidance, which she said allows plant-based products to continue using dairy terms on labels, despite the voluntary nature of the guidelines. Baldwin contended this approach violated both the agency’s standards of identity rules and the Administrative Procedures Act.
Confusion arises, Baldwin said, when non-dairy products use the term “milk.” Jones, however, defended the existing framework. “The issue of using the term ‘milk’ requires clear characterization,” Jones said, adding that labels must specify the source, such as “soy milk” or “oat milk.”
Baldwin pushed back, arguing that the term “milk” should not appear on non-dairy substitutes. “Well, it would be cleared up if they didn’t use the term ‘milk,’ right?” she asked.
Baldwin also expressed concern over emerging products, including lab-grown, cell-based substitutes that use dairy-related terminology. She called for a comprehensive FDA enforcement plan to address labeling for both plant-based and lab-grown products.
The debate underscores broader tensions over food labeling standards as consumer preferences shift toward alternative products in the U.S. market.
