“A Total Oxymoron": Dairy groups take aim at ‘dairy-free butter’

One of the nation’s largest dairy groups is calling foul over a product claiming to be “dairy-free butter.”

The National Milk Producers Federation says the product by Country Crock should be illegal, and they are calling on the FDA to take action.

“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,” said Chris Galen, Executive Director of the American Butter Institute and a Senior Vice President for the National Milk Producers Federation.

Galen says moves like that should be considered illegal. The American Butter Institute has asked USDA to step in, saying it violates federal standards.

Related Stories
NMPF’s Alan Bjerga discusses pending trade agreements with Indonesia and Ecuador and how they will benefit U.S. dairy producers and improve overall global competitiveness of U.S. ag products.
Rising protein demand supports long-term trade in feed and meat.
China’s stricter inspection rules prompt Cargill to pause soybean exports from Brazil, briefly lifting U.S. soybean prices as traders anticipate potential shifts in global trade, as export demand remains supportive across all major U.S. commodities.
Ben Kurtzman with American Farmland Trust discusses the growing pressure on farmland and ranchland and the steps being taken to help conserve farms and ranches across the country ,as unrest in the Middle East adds more obstacles for producers.
India trade tensions may affect the U.S. export outlook.
USDA’s March WASDE report leaves U.S. corn, soybean and wheat ending stocks unchanged while adjusting global production estimates for South America.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Pork producers warn that proposed definitions of “ultra-processed” food in guidelines from the “Make America Healthy Again” plan could negatively impact industry-standard bacon, sausage, and feed practices.
Concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease are fueling a long-standing legal battle between Minnesota regulators and deer farmers. The case could soon reach the state’s Supreme Court with broader implications for agriculture.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) are praising the passage of a bill to delist gray wolves as an endangered species by the U.S. House last week.
Recent USDA export sales data show China has been active in the U.S. market, but analysts tell RFD-TV News that the timing is a key clue.
USDA Undersecretary Luke Lindberg told RFD-TV News that we can only guess what Congress will do down the road. Still, the USDA recognizes its responsibility to spend resources efficiently and effectively.
Tight feeder supplies and lower placements indicate continued support for the cattle market, with regional impacts heightened in Texas by reduced feeder imports.