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Wisconsin Senator introduces dairy and beef labeling bills

Wisconsin might soon have labeling standards for milk, meat, and dairy products.  State Senator Howard Marklein chairs the Ag Committee and introduced three separate bills.  One of them requires truth in labeling for fluid milk products.  Another restricts the use of dairy terms to real dairy products. He tells Brownfield, “This bill says that if you’re labeling cheese or yogurt, ice creams, that it had better come from dairy.”

Marklein also has a separate proposal to restrict calling imitation products meat. “The meat labeling bill that I’ve introduced will say that if you call it meat or burger, it had better be burger, or sausage, or bacon.”

Marklein says there are studies that show how consumers are confused about where plant-based foods come from, and he’s disappointed with the Food and Drug Administration’s lack of enforcement for their own label standards. “I think if the FDA had done their job and acted many years ago, we wouldn’t have to worry about legislation like this at a state level.”

Marklein says this is the first state legislation addressing the labeling issue for dairy products, and he says there are already eleven other states that have passed meat labeling legislation.

Marklein has circulated the legislation for co-sponsorships, and he anticipates they will be assigned to a committee in about two weeks.

Marklein’s dairy bills are supported by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, The Dairy Business Association, and Wisconsin Farm Bureau. The meat labeling bill also has the support of the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association and the Wisconsin Pork Association.