A top executive at the agency largely agreed with her criticism, Bottemiller Evich reported. Janet Woodcock, the FDA’s principal deputy commissioner, told her that the agency has “too many programs and insufficient resources” and that “and the mismatch is severe.” As for the food sector, it’s “very important, but very under-resourced.”
However, the FDA has apparently found time to intervene on behalf of the dairy industry to achieve one of its primary lobbying goals. “For too long, the FDA has failed to act to address the nutrition crisis facing our nation,” Booker said, referring to rising level of diet related diseases Like type 2 diabetes, attributable to mildly regulated consumption ultra-processed food“Instead of using its regulatory powers to protect consumers, the FDA now appears to be poised to — a blatant example of regulatory capture after years of pressure on the dairy industry — just to protect the market share of conventional milk. Instead, take action. I am deeply concerned about FDA’s misguided priorities and hope that the Office of Management and Budget will send the proposed guidance back to the FDA for reconsideration.” The Budget Office declined to comment on its timeline for deciding on the FDA’s proposal.
in a letter In an OMB release on May 19, Booke joined Utah Sen. Mike Lee, California Rep. Julia Brownley, and South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace in a similar plea for the OMB to suppress any plans to crack down on plant-based labels. milk.They point to the 2017 federal court Decide Reject dairy industry claims that consumers cannot assess nutritional differences between dairy and non-dairy products.
To me, Big Dairy’s obsession with hoarding the name “milk” is as puzzling as Califf’s decision to make the topic a priority right away.Milk consumption has been declining for decades, as early as Almond milk surge Early 2010s and more recent Oat Milk Craze. In 1945, the average American was drunk 45 gallons Milk per capita, equivalent to an impressive 2.3 cups of milk per day. It turned out to be the peak before a long, steady descent ramp.Now, 77 years later, we only consume 0.57 cup Every day, and down, nearly half of it is in cereals or mixed with other beverages like coffee.
Dairy-free alternatives began to gain popularity in the 21st century as a fringe food primarily found in health food stores for decades, and now account for 15% of “all dollar sales of retail milk,” according to To The Good Food Institute, a vegan think tank. Even so, Big Dairy can’t blame the recent decline in milk on the rise of alternatives. 2020 study USDA researchers found that “the increase in sales of plant-based foods between 2013 and 2017 was one-fifth of the reduction in the amount Americans bought milk.” It concluded that “the increase in plant-based milk alternatives Sales are causing – but not causing – the main reason for the decline in milk sales.”
There is also no evidence that the removal of milk as a beverage in the United States has had negative nutritional consequences. Dietary intake of the product’s signature nutrient, calcium, increased steadily in all age groups between 1994 and 2010, USDA study found that even per capita milk consumption decreased. Likewise, milk provides several times more protein than most plant-based competitors.But as we move away from it, there are signs that protein deficiency Not developed in our diet.
In short, the battle over what to call the substances we use to enhance our coffee and cereal looks a lot like a storm in a cappuccino cup. The FDA has more pressing issues to address. Take, for example, the current baby formula crisis.The same is true for the dairy industry – including long-term overproduction.
