,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bcbb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,january #ah1  
#bjah,mr4 ,johnson 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,wyden1 ,mr4 ,risch1 and ,ms4 ,baldwin7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
amend the ,federal ,food1 ,drug1 and    
,cosmetic ,act to define the term       
natural cheese4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,codifying     
,useful ,regulatory ,definitions ,act or
 the ,,curd ,act4  #b4 ,findings        
,congress finds as follows3  7#a7 ,there
 is a need to define the term natural   
cheese in order to maintain transparency
 and consistency for consumers so that  
they may differentiate natural cheese   
from process cheese4  7#b7 ,the term    
natural cheese has been used within the 
cheese making industry for more than #ej
 years and is well-established4  #c4    
,definition of natural cheese  7a7      

,definition ,section #bja of the        
,federal ,food1 ,drug1 and ,cosmetic    
,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #cba7 is amended by 
adding at the end the following3  7ss7  
7#a7 ,the term natural cheese means     
cheese that-- 7,a7 is produced from the 
milk of lactating animals or from other 
dairy ingredients2 and  7,b7 is produced
 in accordance with-- 7i7 natural cheese
 standards of identity under part #acc  
or section #acj4aj of title #ba1 ,code  
of ,federal ,regulations 7or any        
successor regulations72  7ii7 natural   
cheese standards of identity under      
applicable ,state law1 if any2 or  7iii7
 natural cheese practices that are not  
established in any law or regulation4   
7#b7 ,such term does not include-- 7,a7 
pasteurized process cheeses as defined  
in section #acc4afi1 #acc4agj1 or       
#acc4aga of title #ba1 ,code of ,federal
 ,regulations 7or any successor         
regulations72  7,b7 pasteurized process 
cheese foods as defined in section      
#acc4agc or #acc4agd of title #ba1 ,code

 of ,federal ,regulations 7or any       
successor regulations72  7,c7           
pasteurized cheese spreads as defined in
 section #acc4age1 #acc4agf1 or #acc4agh
 of title #ba1 ,code of ,federal        
,regulations 7or any successor          
regulations72  7,d7 pasteurized process 
cheese spreads as defined in section    
#acc4agi or #acc4ahj of title #ba1 ,code
 of ,federal ,regulations 7or any       
successor regulations72  7,e7           
pasteurized blended cheeses as defined  
in section #acc4afg or #acc4afh of title
 #ba1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or
 any successor regulations72  7,f7 any  
products comparable to any product      
described in any of subparagraphs 7,a7  
through 7,e72 or  7,g7 cold pack cheeses
 as defined in section #acc4abc1        
#acc4abd1 or #acc4abe title #ba1 ,code  
of ,federal ,regulations 7or any        
successor regulations71 or any          
comparable products4  4  7b7 ,labeling  
,section #djc of the ,federal ,food     
,drug and ,cosmetic ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 

#cdc7 is amended by adding at the end   
the following3  7z7 ,if its label or    
labeling includes the term natural      
cheese1 unless the food meets the       
definition of natural cheese under      
section #bja7ss71 except that nothing in
 this paragraph shall prohibit the use  
of the term natural1 all-natural1 or a  
similar claim or statement with respect 
to a food in a manner that is consistent
 with regulations1 guidance1 or policy  
statements issued by the ,secretary4  4 
7c7 ,national uniformity ,section       
#djc;,a7a77#b7 of the ,federal ,food1   
,drug1 and ,cosmetic ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4
 #cdc-a7;a77#b77 is amended by striking 
or #djc7w7 and inserting #djc7w71 or    
#djc7z74