,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddhg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #be1      
#bjai,mr4 ,kind 7for himself1 ,mr4      
,long1 and ,mr4 ,schrader7 introduced   
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,commerce  ,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 is a ripened or unripened   
soft1 semi-soft1 or hard product1 which 
may be coated1 that is produced--  7,a7 
by-- 7i7 coagulating wholly or partly   
the protein of milk1 skimmed milk1      
partly skimmed milk1 cream1 whey cream1 
or buttermilk1 or any combination of    
such ingredients1 through the action of 
rennet or other suitable coagulating    
agents1 and by partially draining the   
whey resulting from the coagulation1    
while respecting the principle that     
cheese-making results in a concentration
 of milk protein 7in particular1 the    
casein portion71 and that consequently1 
the protein content of the cheese will  
be distinctly higher than the protein   
level of the blend of the above milk    
materials from which the cheese was     
made2 or  7ii7 processing techniques    
involving coagulation of the protein of 

milk or products obtained from milk to  
produce an end-product with similar     
physical1 chemical1 and organoleptic    
characteristics as the product described
 in subclause 7i72 and  7iii7 including 
the addition of safe and suitable       
non-milk derived ingredients of the type
 permitted in the standards of identity 
described in clause 7,b7 as natural     
cheese2 or  7,b7 in accordance with     
standards of identity under part #acc of
 title #ba1 ,code of ,federal           
,regulations 7or any successor          
regulations71 other than the standards  
described in subparagraph 7#b7 or any   
future standards adopted by the         
,secretary in accordance with           
subparagraph 7#b77;,i74  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 clauses 7,a7 through 7,e72  7,g7 
cold pack cheeses as defined in section 
#acc4abc1 #acc4abd1 or #acc4abe title   
#ba1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or 
any successor regulations72  7,h7 grated
 ,american cheese food as defined in    
section #acc4adg of title #ba1 ,code of 
,federal ,regulations 7or any successor 

regulations72 or  7,i7 any other product
 the ,secretary may designate as a      
process cheese4  7#c7 ,for purposes of  
this paragraph1 the term milk has the   
meaning given such term in section      
#acc4c of title #ba1 ,code of ,federal  
,regulations 7or any successor          
regulations7 and includes the lacteal   
secretions from animals other than cows4
  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 cheese as a factual        
descriptor of a category of cheese      
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      
natural or 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