America’s families deserve to know what they’re buying when shopping in the dairy aisle. The American Farm Bureau Federation filed comments with the Food and Drug Administration calling on the agency to enforce food labeling standards for dairy substitute products and enforce existing prohibitions on the misleading labeling of nut- and other plant-based beverage products as “milk.” The FDA requested comments on its draft Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements: Guidance for Industry.
AFBF supports a consumer’s right to access dairy-free products, but one in four Americans, 83 million people, are confused or have been misled about whether dairy alternatives contain milk, according to a survey used by FDA. Non-dairy beverages are sold in the milk case alongside traditional milk, very often with labeling that implies they are dairy products. Nut- and plant-based beverages do not include several important nutrients that are found in cow’s milk, however.
AFBF is urging FDA to require non-dairy products to be labeled accurately, as is required in several markets outside of the U.S. For instance, “almond milk” is labeled “almond beverage” in Canada. Applying the same standards in the United States should not be a heavy or unreasonable burden on companies.
The FDA already requires truth in labeling for other foods. For example, products labeled as “jams” must contain a minimum amount of fruit, and products that don’t meet a minimum standard for cheese must be labeled as “cheese alternative” or “cheese substitute.” FDA’s proposed guidance for milk substitutes risks setting a precedent that could lead to many other dairy, meat, fruit and other food names to be misused for imitation products.
AFBF News Release
#AFBF #Families #Deserve #Truth #Food #Labeling #Mighty #KFGO
