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National Milk Producers present imitation label argument to FDA

A dairy promotion organization says they took their imitation dairy labeling arguments to The Food and Drug Administration.  National Milk Producers Dairy Foods and Nutrition specialist Beth Briczinski tells Brownfield Tuesday’s meeting was a listening session with top regulators.  “National Milk did a lot of talking.  We presented a lot of data.  We presented a lot of really good arguments to support our case for why these imitation dairy products are, in fact, misbranded.”

Briczinski says they told FDA regulators consumers don’t fully understand the difference between dairy milk and products made from almonds, soybeans, or other plants.  “People think, gosh, are people confused?  And, my answer is yes.  You know, not that they think soybeans have udders, but they really don’t know from a nutrition perspective what’s in that package and that’s what we showed FDA.”

Briczinski says most consumers don’t realize dairy has more protein and nine essential nutrients not found in plant-based alternatives.

Europe and Canada already enforce imitation dairy labeling standards.  NMPF supports the DairyPRIDE legislation they say would force the FDA to enforce existing labeling regulations.

Briczinski says the FDA did not indicate if label enforcement changes are being considered.  She says, “I think that they’re going to find more and more that National Milk has some really good arguments and we’re going to keep going after this issue until they finally do take action.”