The CURD Act would add a definition of “natural cheese” to federal food law. The definition covers certain cheeses made by coagulating milk proteins and cheeses that meet specified federal standards. It excludes several types of processed cheese and lets the Secretary of Health and Human Services designate other products as process cheese. A label could use “natural cheese” as a category description only if the product meets the definition. The bill would also add this labeling rule to an existing federal uniformity provision.
If enacted, the bill would set a federal standard for when a cheese may be described as “natural cheese.” It would not prevent use of “natural” or “all-natural” for food when that use follows applicable rules and guidance.
No publicly available information.
The bill’s findings say a definition could help consumers distinguish natural cheese from process cheese and support transparency and consistency. They also state that the term has long been used in the cheese industry.
No publicly available information.