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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been urged by three members of the US Senate to increase its enforcement of regulations that prevent the “imitation” of standardised dairy products.
Senators Dan Coats, Richard Lugar and Kristen Gillibrand called on the FDA to enforce its Standards of Identity regulations in a letter addressed to FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg.
Standards of identity, which are outlined in the Code of Federation Regulations, are legal standards which define a food’s minimum quality specification including permitted ingredients and processing requirements.
According to the letter, it has become increasingly common to find products on the market that use the names of standardised dairy products such as milk, despite not meeting specific requirements.
The US National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has given its backing to the senator-led campaign, pinpointed soy milk as the biggest violator of the FDA dairy standards.
The senators expressed concerns that “these misleading labels will become even more prevalent and further erode the meaning of these dairy terms.”
“Haphazard enforcement”
“We are writing to express our concerns regarding the haphazard enforcement efforts of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent the misbranding of certain food items that are imitations of standardised dairy products,” said the letter.
“Federal standards of identity are established to promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers. Dairy product standards contain provisions regarding both permitted and prohibited ingredients, as well as proper manufacturing procedures to protect product identity.”
In the US, standards of identity have been established for milk, cream, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream and some types of cheeses.
However, products such as soy milk have continued to be manufactured in violation of the FDA regulations.
“It is clear from scattered enforcement actions that the FDA understands these terms should not be used in such a manner for imitation dairy products. However, given the increasing prevalence of mislabeled imitation dairy products, FDA enforcement has not been sufficient,” added the letter.
While the senators accept that consumers may choose these “imitation” dairy products for a variety of reason, it is “inappropriate for manufacturers of these products to violate the law and continue to mislead consumers by capitalising on dairy terminology for standardised foods.”
“Imitation dairy products should be allowed on the market only when accurately labeled.”
Soy milk – worst offender
“The letter is very consistent with the letters we have previously sent to the Congress and the FDA,” said NMPF spokesperson Chris Galen referring to the organisations 12 year campaign against standardised dairy product imitation.
“Our initial concern was that we were seeing a number of products in supermarkets using the term soy milk, which is not permitted in the US.”
Almond, rice and hemp products labelled as ‘milk’ have since become prevalent, he added.
“It started with soy, and now it encompasses a much wider spectrum of products.”
“If it’s not going to be enforced then what’s the point?” added Galen.
4 comments (Comments are now closed)
Humans still drink cow's milk? WTF
I'm still in awe when I hear that people continue to drink cow's milk despite the overwhelming evidence that it "Doesn't do a body good"
Milk is a disgusting, pus filled liquid most suited to calfs...yuk!! I'll stick to Soy or Almond MILK,thank you very much....
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Posted by Marten Felgnar
22 August 2012 | 04h38
Ridiculous
This is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen lately. The dairy industry doesn't own the word milk. There was such a thing as coconut milk long before soy milk became popular. Do these Senators not have anything better to do?
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Posted by Chris
05 June 2012 | 02h53
Milk Redefined
I think what the senator and his associates should consider instead is the idea of milk et al. We're living in a day when scientific research has shown that cow's milk isn't nearly as good for us as we thought it was. And the idea of milk holds more of a cultural suggestion as a white opaque drink that provides choice nutrients than does a requirement from cows.
I personally think in light of the higher health benefits, and often price difference, maybe milk should be rethought as to what it's required to be instead.
Although with a milk lobby this strong in our country, it's unlikely that'd ever happen.
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Posted by Jon Owen
05 June 2012 | 01h54
Consumers are not mislead by the labels today
No one buying soy or almond milk is under the impression that they are buying actual milk. In fact, the alternative milk products are purchased precisely because they are NOT actual milk. I doubt very much that anyone buys these products and expects the contents to be actual milk from animals.
Coconut milk is what the liquid content from coconut is called. Are sellers allowed to call it coconut milk when it is not actual animal milk? just seems silly to me.
I think if it can be shown that consumers are being mislead by labels then action should be taken. Otherwise, any change will just confuse people who are used to certain labels on the products.
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Posted by Steven Hall
05 June 2012 | 01h46
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