New legislation to define milk as 'dairy only'

Milk is loved by many Wisconsinites and is the product that helps make the Dairy State, the Dairy State.

"Well I think that's the only thing you can drink.. keep the farmers going," said Eddie Skrzypchak, a milk drinker from Rothschild.

But lately, other products like almond milk and soy milk are giving dairy milk a run for it's money.

Dairy farmers and producers say it's not really milk and question why it's labeled as such. They argue that those products don't come from a cow but rather from plants and nuts, things you can't milk.

The debate has made it's way to Washington, D.C.

"Our farmers, our milk processors work very hard to meet high Food and Drug Administrations standards of nutrition and quality," said U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a democrat from Wisconsin.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are working hard to get the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to step up on regulations.

"We've had issues with the price of our dairy products. We've seen little pieces of the market share being taken away by plant-based substances," added Republican Congressman Sean Duffy, of the 7th Congressional District.

Sen. Baldwin introduced legislation Thursday called the "Dairy Pride Act".

"Dairy Pride simply tells the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, to enforce its current laws, and make sure that imitators aren't allowed to pretend they're milk," said Baldwin.

Keeping a clear definition of milk and relabeling products that aren't dairy is something both Baldwin and Duffy said will help dairy farmers and producers in the end.

"It really does cut into our dairy industry," said Baldwin.

Congressman Duffy agreed.

"Through that labeling clarity that's hopefully going to come from the FDA, I think you're going to see a shoring up of the milk market, at least to a small degree," Duffy said.

A salute to dairy cows and the farmers that work hard to provide a nutritious glass of Wisconsin's finest.

Senator Baldwin's Dairy Pride Act will also require the FDA to report to congress two years after enactment, to hold the agency accountable for this update in their enforcement obligations.