In a Senate memorandum released Wednesday, Sen. Elder A. Vogel Jr. (R-47) announced that he will be introducing “language that would clarify the definition of milk in the state of Pennsylvania.”
According to the statement, current law does not expressly define milk as “only coming from a dairy cow.” Vogel said the clarification is needed as the Food and Drug Administration is causing confusion with regards to labelling non-dairy products “milk.”
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the United States Department of Agriculture does define milk as coming from a cow,” Vogel said in the memorandum. “However, 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.”
Vogel said labeling non-dairy milk substitutes as milk leads to a competitive disadvantage for dairy farmers.
“While I understand the need for these milk substitutes, they are simply not milk and should not be labeled as such,” he said.
A week before Vogel announced his proposal, another Republican legislator announced she would be calling for increased fines for dairy farmers who run afoul of the state’s Milk Marketing Board.
