Feingold: Quality Cheese Standard Right for Farmers and Consumers Senator Works to Keep Imitation Ingredients Out of Cheese Bearing the "Natural" Label June 5, 2000 Kiel, WI -- U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today discussed his new legislation, the Quality Cheese Act of 2000, to disallow the use of dry ultra-filtered milk into natural cheese products, and to require the USDA to consider the impact on dairy producers before any other changes may be made to the natural cheese standard. Feingold explained that one proposed change to the federal rules governing cheese production, imitation cheese ingredients could be used to make cheese bearing the "natural" label, misleading consumers and hurting Wisconsin’s dairy farmers. "There’s a reason Wisconsin cheese is synonymous with quality – because it’s made with only the best natural ingredients," Feingold said. "But if the Food and Drug Administration and the USDA make a proposed change to current regulations, consumers won’t know whether cheese is really all natural, or whether it’s truly from Wisconsin." Under the proposed change, imitation milk proteins, called dry ultra-filtered milk or casein, could be used to make cheese in place of natural milk produced by cows in Wisconsin or other parts of the U.S., but still retain the "natural" label. Imitation cheese ingredients could be imported duty-free in unlimited quantities. The vast majority of dry ultra-filtered milk from other countries is subsidized, and complies with quality standards that are well below those of the U.S. "Our dairy farmers already struggle to keep their farms going under a milk marketing order system that penalizes them simply for living in Wisconsin," Feingold said. "In the interests of dairy farmers and consumers, Congress must preserve the highest standards for cheeses that bear the "natural" label." Feingold's 40th Listening Session of 2000, and his 544th since he was first elected, was held at the Kiel City Hall, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Feingold’s 41st Listening Session of the year, and his 545th since he was first elected, was held at the Mead Public Library beginning at 9:45 a.m.

# # #