From State Sen. Jason Gallion:
Legislation to create fair labeling for imitation milk products has now passed the Maryland State Senate with strong bipartisan support (36-10). Senator Gallion sponsored SB 922, which would bring truth in labeling to imitation milk products. This legislation aims to have the FDA live up to their own definition of milk which is “Milk is the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows.”
North Carolina passed a similar law in 2018 that would enforce a ban on all products mislabeled as milk, specifically plant beverages. This ban would be contingent on the enacting of similar legislation in 11 of the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
“As a former dairy farmer, I’m proud to help the struggling Maryland dairy industry that has lost more than 1,000 dairy farms over the past 30 years. I believe that if other states join in this compact it could provide significant relief to our remaining 364 dairy farms,” Senator Gallion said.
If SB 922 passes through the Maryland House of Delegates and is signed into law by the Governor, then only 9 more of the aforementioned states need to join to make plant based imitation milk fairly label their products.
Wow.
Drinking another mammals lactation secretions is just plain old nasty. For christ sake even cows have the better sense to stop drinking milk.
So Maryland will force Almond, Soy and Coconut based products to be labeled as Miilk, Millk or Milch. No one was confused before nor will they notice afterwards.
How about we also fix the more important things that are incorrectly labeled? Can we also make sure we stop calling garbage incineration a green technology, and stop calling Donald Trump anything but a traitor?
I prefer Almond Milk to cow’s milk because 1) it has 1/3 the calories, 2) it has less sodium, and 3) there is zero chance of antibiotics, and 4) it has the same fat content as 1% cow’s milk. So I really don’t care what they call it as long as I can still find it in or near the dairy case at my local Walmart.
I propose “Almond Melt” as an alternative name because it is basically liquefied almonds.
However, just to assure the dairy farmers, I still eat yogurt (low-fat), cheese, and I use butter (unsalted) because I’ve heard it is better for you than margarine. .
This really is a non-issue. There are other, more serious challenges facing the MD Assembly such as education, over-development of wet-lands, Trumps war on the Chesapeake Bay. (I guess “war” is the wrong word since Trump is all for gearing up for more of it. So I suppose it’s Trumps “paucitication” of the Bay.)
48 pot holes per square mile of Maryland roadways, and we get “Fair Labeling” on milk.
Way to go elected officials – you are saving us, one almond milk carton at a time.
Useless legislation from a useless Senator Gallion. He is a waste of space in Annapolis. You get hand delivered a seat in the Senate and this is the best you can do. It just proves how much of a lazy loser Senator Gallion really is.
How is it that someone who has never won an election, and has run several times before a state senator?
I am so happy to hear this. I have been eagerly awaiting passage of this bill. I could barely slept at night. Now, I can.
Seriously? I’m still wondering how I lost this election. Lol
Opioid problem, safety and security of our citizens, 2nd Amendment rights, infrastructure and reduction in taxes legislation please.
I, too, feel safer knowing that this groundbreaking piece of legislation will soon become reality.
My granddaughter asked me the other day: “Grandma, has Senator Gallion passed his milk bill?”
This will be a legacy that will improve her life and those of others for decades to come.
I attended the farm symposium at Harford Community College this month. This IS a big deal for the local farmers. The ones that are confused are children.
FYI: The Farmers don’t pump up the cows with antibiotics. But just like us, if the cow gets a infection, it is treated. And without fat, the Vitamin D in the milk is not absorbed.
Support our Local Farmers.
This is what you get, when you send a farmer to Annapolis. Really speaks to his understanding of his District.
Every since this bill passed, I have been more cheerful, more at ease with the world, more satisfied with life.
I have an added spring in my step.
Thank you, Senator Gallion, for improving our world. This is an amazing contribution to human life.
I feel better too, especially after reading your post. Thank you.