Supermarket Perimeter - October 2024 - 40

Cheese
Helping consumers
Natural
By Benton Smith and Andy Nelson
WHAT MAKES A CHEESE A " NATURAL CHEESE " ?
Numerous members of the dairy industry are pushing for the
establishment of an absolute definition.
Trade associations and dairy companies joined up to send
Congress members a letter in support of the Codifying Useful
Regulatory Definition (CURD) Act, a piece of bipartisan legislation that
would follow the US dairy industry's lead in using the term " natural
cheese " to align with international standards of cheesemaking.
The letter emphasized that the term has been used for more than
50 years and is " well established and understood by the American
consumer. " The dairy industry defines " natural cheese " as products
made through historical cheesemaking practices, differentiating them
from the practices used to make process cheese.
Co-signed by the International Dairy Foods Association, Wisconsin
Cheese Makers Association, National Milk Producers Federation,
Northeast Dairy Foods & Suppliers Associations, Agri-Mark, Hilmar,
Sargento Foods and California Dairy Institute, the letter said the
meaning of " natural cheese " should be codified in the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The organizations agreed that a separate food industry regulation
debate about using the term " natural " on food packaging took on a
different meaning, describing attributes of a specific food product.
" In contrast, our industry has used the term 'natural cheese' for
decades in the US and hundreds of years in Europe to describe
a particular category of cheese, " the industry members wrote in
the letter.
" Natural cheese, " they submitted, should be defined clearly to
" maintain transparency and consistency for consumers so that they
may differentiate " between products sold at retail locations.
40 - OCTOBER 2024
supermarketperimeter.com
Congressman Jim Costa,
alongside Representatives
Mike Gallagher, Bryan
Steil, Angie Craig, Glenn
Grothman, Jimmy Panetta,
and Scott Fitzgerald,
introduced the bipartisan
CURD Act to help better
inform consumers' cheese
purchasing decisions,
according to Costa.
"
People need to know
exactly what they are
buying when it comes to
the food that they feed
their families, including
cheese. By codifying
a formal definition of
'natural cheese' we can
empower consumers to
understand how their
cheeses are made, the
inherent differences
between natural cheese
and processed cheese,
and better recognize
the hard work and
craftsmanship of cheese
by our dairy farmers all
across the country. "
Jimmy Panetta, (CA-19)
"
Wisconsin dairy
farmers make the best
cheese in the world and
take great pride in what
they do. Clearly defining
what is and isn't 'natural
cheese' is a common
sense step that promotes
transparency in food
labeling and recognizes
the time, ingredients, and
work our dairy industry
puts into their products. "
Mike Gallagher, (WI-08)
"
Farmers across
Minnesota who work hard
to produce high-quality
products deserve to have
those products labeled
accurately, and consumers
should know exactly what
they're purchasing at the
grocery store or farmer's
market. Our legislation
will increase transparency
in food labeling and
ensure our farmers' hard
work is recognized. "
Angie Craig, (MN-02)
"
The CURD Act is
common-sense legislation
that will help families make
informed decisions when
purchasing groceries.
Wisconsin is a world-class
producer of cheese, and
consumers deserve to
know whether they are
buying natural cheese
or processed cheese. "
Bryan Steil, (WI-01)
"
California is the
leading dairy producing
state in the nation,
providing cheese varieties
that rate among the
finest in the world. This
legislation will provide
clarity for consumers to
make informed decisions
when purchasing and
enjoying delicious
California cheese. "
Jim Costa, (CA-21)
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Supermarket Perimeter - October 2024

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