Republican Sen. Elder A. Vogel, Jr. plans to propose legislation “clearly defining milk in Pennsylvania,” according to a memo posted Wednesday. The move comes in response to last month’s guidance from federal Food and Drug Administrator officials weighing in on the rise of milk alternatives that bill themselves as “milk.”
Vogel says that “the recent ruling by the FDA to allow non-dairy-based beverages to continue using the term ‘milk’ – and therefore contradicting their own definition – is an attack on the dairy industry and misleading to consumers.”
The senator says dairy milk faces a “clear disadvantage” when sold alongside milk alternatives, products he says are “claiming to be a healthier alternative” to cow-derived milk. Vogel represents parts of Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.
In February, the FDA released a draft ruling on the question of whether milk alternatives, such as soy, almond and coconut milk, could continue to be sold under the “milk” moniker.
FDA officials said that plant-based beverages neither pretend to be dairy milk, nor do they confuse consumers into believing they are buying dairy milk.
States with large dairy industry presences have been leading the charge against the naming around these milk alternatives. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin recently introduced a bill that would prevent plant-based drinks from being labeled “milk.”
