About This Lesson
Consider the impact food labels have on consumer choice and food producers with a bill that would prohibit the use of the word “milk” to describe non-dairy products.
This lesson looks at the issue of food labeling as presented by the DAIRY PRIDE Act of 2017. This bill would prohibit the use of dairy-product terms like “milk,” “yogurt,” and “cheese” for non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants or other products would be prohibited from using dairy terminology.
The DAIRY PRIDE Act is an excellent bill to encourage students to think about the forces behind legislation. In this case, members of the the dairy industry strongly supports this bill that they hope will offer some protections to their business from competing non-dairy alternatives. It’s also an effective bill to help differentiate positions by state, as milk production is a key contributor to some state economies like Wisconsin, Vermont and Idaho.
Use this lesson plan to explore the issue and prepare to conduct a Senate debate on a related bill.
