Plant-based milk: American senators join forces for Dairy Pride

US lawmakers from both sides of the political divide have joined forces to protect milk naming rights from plant-based rivals.

American lawmakers are joining forces to protect dairy phrases such as milk, cheese and butter from plant-based imitators.

The US Food and Drug Administration recently gave the green light for food manufacturers to use milk and cheese when describing food made from plant-based material.

Republican and Democratic senators have rallied together to present a bipartisan bill to the US Congress that would alter labelling laws to ensure only produce extracted from mammal milk could be classified as dairy goods.

Republican senator Jim Risch is one of four US politicians to co-author the Dairy Pride Act.

The Idaho senator told The Weekly Times that plant-based produce should not be able to use phrases like milk or cheese, which have a specific connection to the dairy sector.

“Dairy is an essential and foundational part of Idaho’s culture and economy,” he said.

“Products masquerading as genuine dairy are unjustly hurting these hardworking dairy farmers and confusing or misleading to consumers.”

Democrat senator Tammy Baldwin said food administrators in the US needed to rethink the relaxed use of dairy terms for plant-based produce.

“Wisconsin’s dairy farmers produce second-to-none products with the highest nutritional value,” she said. “Imitation products have gotten away with using dairy’s good name without meeting those standards.”

EastAusMilk co-chief executive Shaughn Morgan said similar concerns over the rise in plant-based products using dairy phrases was of concern to Australian dairy farmers.

“Dairy terms such as ‘milk’ should be safeguarded from misuse. There is broad support across the Australian community for truth in labelling,” he said.

Republican senator. Jim Risch met former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison in September 2021. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images