FDA Gives Guidance on Milk and Cheese Enforcement Posture
The Food and Drug Administration "will exercise enforcement discretion regarding the use and labeling of fluid ultrafiltered milk (UF milk) and fluid ultrafiltered nonfat milk (UF nonfat milk) to make certain cheeses and related cheese products," the agency said in a notice. The FDA issued a guidance for industry detailing the agency's enforcement stance and "current thinking." The guidance follows "recent changes in some export markets that have caused the U.S. dairy industry to experience an oversupply and pricing challenges with domestically produced UF milk," the FDA said.
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The FDA is encouraging "manufacturers of standardized cheeses and related cheese products to identify fluid ultrafiltered milk and fluid ultrafiltered nonfat milk, when used as ingredients, as 'ultrafiltered milk' and 'ultrafiltered nonfat milk' when feasible and appropriate," it said. Still, the agency does not "intend to take action against companies that manufacture standardized cheeses and related cheese products that contain fluid ultrafiltered milk or fluid ultrafiltered nonfat milk without declaring them in the ingredient statement, as long as their labels declare milk or nonfat milk in the ingredient statement."