The Peru Gazette

From the office of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has signed on to a letter to the new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Steven Hahn, urging him to take action to enforce the FDA standards of identity that are already in place for dairy products. The FDA has formal rules surrounding the definition of labeling genuine dairy products and alternatives that they have chosen not to enforce for several years. Congresswoman Stefanik is also cosponsor of the Dairy PRIDE Act, a House bill that would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale of any food that uses the market name of a dairy product but does not come from an animal, and does not contain milk as a primary ingredient. This letter to the FDA is the next step in urging them to act on dairy labeling issues.

“For far too long, the FDA has failed to combat the misuse of dairy terms on non-dairy products,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “Not only does this cause confusion among consumers, but it also puts our North Country dairy farmers at a disadvantage in the grocery store. Real dairy products come from real cows, and they should be the only products labeled as ‘milk’. I will continue to be an outspoken advocate and urge FDA to enforce existing law.”

“Dairy farmers continue to urge FDA to uphold the law and enforce existing standards of identity for dairy,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “Now that Commissioner Hahn is confirmed and putting his stamp on FDA, we commend Congresswoman Stefanik for once again joining a strong bipartisan push from the House that further emphasizes that it’s time to take action.  As the members state so clearly in their letter, a solution is long overdue.  We hope this clear expression of congressional intent helps resolve this pressing public-health concern.”