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Wisconsin’s meat and dairy labeling bills set for Tuesday vote

The three Wisconsin bills that call for truth in labeling for meat, milk, and dairy products will get a vote from the full State Assembly Tuesday. 

Assembly Bill 73 would prohibit use of the terms cream, yogurt, or cheese unless the product was derived solely from the milk of mammals.  Assembly Bill 74 would prohibit the use of the term “milk” by imitation products as soon as ten other states pass a similar law.  Assembly Bill 75 would require any product labeled “meat” to contain the edible flesh of an animal and is not produced by cultured animal tissue or plant-based materials.

Agriculture groups have strongly supported the truth-in-labeling bills.

Shelly Meyer is with the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin. She tells Brownfield, “This whole labeling issue, we’ve probably made it way too difficult and the whole purpose of a label is to make it simple for consumers to know exactly what they are purchasing.”

Chad Zuleger with the Dairy Business Association is glad to see the Assembly vote on the calendar but would like to see the Senate put this on their calendar as well. “Well, we’re really pleased to see this in the Assembly. They took action on it last session, and we expect similar results. And then, our effort will shift to the Senate. If they don’t get it scheduled this week, we’ll be working on them.”

The Assembly session is scheduled to start at 1:00 pm.  Most Wisconsin agriculture groups are encouraging members to contact lawmakers and urge them to support the labeling bills.