Right now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering the future of what can – and can’t – be labeled with dairy terms such as “milk.” It’s critical that Land O’Lakes, Inc. members and employees across the nation send a clear message to the FDA: Allowing imitation foods to be mislabeled with dairy names is the wrong decision for American families.
Consumer research is clear that the use of the term “milk” on plant-based foods misleads consumers, suggesting to them that the nutritional value of plant-based beverages is equivalent to dairy milk. That is simply not the case. Together, we can ensure the FDA has the facts about this issue and call on the agency to protect dairy standards of identity.
Send a comment to the FDA
The FDA is accepting public comments on this issue until January 28, 2019 – and by taking just a few minutes, you can help encourage the agency to enforce dairy standards and prevent mislabeling.
Here’s how:
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Visit this submission page, which takes you directly to the FDA comment page for this issue (Docket #FDA-2018-N-3522-4873).
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Enter your comment and your contact information and click Continue.
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On the following page, confirm your information and click Submit Comment.
Below is a generic comment template that could be used as part of your submission:
I am writing to encourage the FDA to enforce current Standards of Identity for dairy products.
Consumer data shows that the use of the term “milk” on plant-based foods is misleading for consumers. It suggests that cow’s milk and plant-based foods have the same nutritional value, when that is not the case. A 2018 survey conducted by the market research firm Ipsos showed more than half of consumers believe that plant-based foods are labeled “milk” because those products have a similar nutritional value to cow’s milk. In addition, almost 70 percent of people who purchase only plant-based drinks believe those drinks have the same nutritional content as cow’s milk.
Dairy products are an important part of a healthy diet for children and adults, and most Americans are not meeting the recommended intake of dairy foods. Dairy products provide key essential nutrients and vitamins – and it is misleading to allow plant-based products to use dairy-specific names such as “milk,” suggesting they are an equal nutritional substitute.
If you have any questions about this important issue, please email governmentrelations@landolakes.com.