Dairy Industry Pushing Back Against ‘Dairy Free Butter’

Controversy continues for the dairy industry and the issue of imitation products trying to claim their name. I mean really, where exactly do you milk that almond?

This time, it’s butter. A new product from Country Crock labeled “dairy-free butter” has sparked concern within the dairy industry. Chris Galen, executive director of the American Butter Institute and senior vice president for the National Milk Producers Federation, says this labeling of a non-dairy product as butter is a violation of federal standards.

“Butter has rebounded, and things like margarines and plant spreads, plant-based spreads, are in decline. So, if you’re a manufacturer of those imitation butters, fake butters, what do you do? You decide to label yourself as something called dairy-free butter, which is a total oxymoron, because you can’t have butter unless it comes from a dairy ingredient, like cream. But this is a concern because we see these products in the marketplace.”

The American Butter Institute has asked USDA to intervene, saying Country Crock’s “dairy-free butter” not only violates federal standards, but it misuses the term butter.

“The good news here, hopefully, is that there’s a lot of interest on the part of the Trump administration to have people eat more real foods, whole foods. This Country Crock product is a combination of canola and palm oil, but it’s not legal to call it that. At least not in our view, and hopefully that will be the view of the FDA.”

Galen is hopeful they’ll look at this complaint more sympathetically given the “Make America Healthy Again” climate.

Source: NAFB News Service