In a renewed effort to crack down on what dairy advocates call misleading and unfair labeling practices, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators has reintroduced legislation to prevent plant-based products from using dairy terms like milk, cheese and yogurt.
On Tuesday, Senators Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Peter Welch, D-Vt., announced the reintroduction of the Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act, or DAIRY PRIDE Act, of 2025.
The bill requires the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce its own standards of identity for dairy products, which define milk and other dairy foods as being derived from cows, goats or sheep. Despite these standards, FDA’s 2023 draft guidance currently allows plant-based products made from nuts, seeds or grains to continue using dairy terms on their packaging.
“Wisconsin is known across the world as America’s Dairyland because our hardworking dairy farmers produce the best products with the highest nutritional value,” Baldwin says. “But for far too long, imitation dairy products made from plants and nuts have ridden the coattails of our dairy farmers. I’m proud to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to settle this once and for all.”
Risch adds, “Dairy comes from cows, goats and sheep, not almonds. Plant-based products’ misleading branding is a disservice to consumers and the farmers who dedicate their lives to making the nutritious dairy products Idahoans enjoy.”
The legislation would require FDA to issue updated guidance on enforcement within 90 days and report back to Congress within two years. It is widely supported by national and regional dairy groups, including the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), American Farm Bureau Federation, EDGE Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, Midwest Dairy Coalition and Idaho Dairymen’s Association, among others.
Industry Applauds Legislative Action
Dairy organizations welcomed the bill as a move toward restoring fairness in the marketplace.
“When consumers buy products labeled as milk or cheese, they’re expecting delicious, nutritious foods made with the goodness of real dairy — not nuts, peas or beans,” says John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. “We applaud Senator Tammy Baldwin and the bipartisan Congressional coalition behind the DAIRY PRIDE Act.”
Gregg Doud, NMPF president and CEO, called FDA’s failure to enforce its own standards harmful to public health and confusing for consumers.
“It’s time to get rid of FDA’s 2023 guidance on labeling imitator beverages and replace it with straightforward policy that makes FDA enforce its own dairy standards of identity,” Doud says.
Continued Consumer Confusion
The argument central to the bill is one of nutritional transparency. Dairy groups contend that allowing non-dairy alternatives to use traditional dairy terms implies a nutritional equivalency that doesn’t exist.
“Medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, agree that it’s a problem when products mislead consumers by using dairy terms to imply that they provide dairy’s unique nutritional profile, when nothing could be further from the truth,” according to NMPF.
Heidi Fischer, EDGE Dairy Farmer Cooperative president, echoed that sentiment, noting the bill protects consumer trust and supports the integrity of dairy labels.
“We encourage timely action on this bill to prevent further misleading product names on our grocery store coolers and shelves,” she says.
Broad Bipartisan Support
In addition to Baldwin, Risch, Collins and Welch, the 2025 DAIRY PRIDE Act is also cosponsored by Senators Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Angus King, I-Maine, Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
Supporters argue that this broad coalition reflects the widespread impact dairy farming has on rural economies and nutrition policy alike.
“Idaho dairy farmers have worked hard for generations to provide real, safe and wholesome dairy products,” says Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. “Allowing plant-based alternatives to use dairy terms misleads consumers and undermines the work of our family farms.”
If passed, the DAIRY PRIDE Act would require FDA to enforce its own legal definitions for dairy terms and issue updated guidance within 90 days, formally reserving labels like milk, cheese and yogurt for animal-derived products. The agency would also need to report back to Congress within two years, outlining its enforcement progress and demonstrating accountability.
