Federal law finally defines 'natural cheese'—here's what changes

What it does

This bill amends federal food law to define what counts as 'natural cheese' versus processed cheese products. It establishes that natural cheese must be made by coagulating milk protein and draining whey, and explicitly excludes pasteurized process cheeses, cheese foods, spreads, and cold-pack cheeses. The bill also requires that any product labeled 'natural cheese' must meet this definition, while allowing general 'natural' or 'all-natural' claims to continue under existing FDA rules.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to establish a federal definition and labeling standard for natural cheese, enabling consumer differentiation and preventing misleading claims. It is a transparency and consumer-protection measure, not a subsidy, carve-out, or deregulation.

What the text implies

• The definition's reference to 'safe and suitable non-milk derived ingredients' may create ambiguity about what additives qualify, potentially requiring future FDA guidance and litigation.
• The bill's delegation to the FDA to designate future products as 'process cheese' gives the agency broad discretion to expand or contract the definition over time without new legislation.
• Existing state-level cheese standards and labeling rules may conflict with this federal definition, creating compliance complexity for multi-state producers.
• The exclusion of cold-pack cheese and other processed varieties may reduce shelf space or market share for those products if retailers and consumers shift to federally defined 'natural cheese' labels.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill increases transparency by establishing a clear, legally binding definition of 'natural cheese' that consumers can rely on when shopping, preventing misleading labeling. This reduces information asymmetry and allows consumers to differentiate products they may prefer, without restricting access to any product or raising prices.

Who stands to gain

• artisanal and small-scale cheese producers (who typically make natural cheese)
• organic and specialty cheese brands (who can now clearly market as 'natural cheese')

Named in the bill

FDA (Food and Drug Administration), Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 CFR Part 133 (cheese standards), cheese industry, pasteurized process cheese manufacturers

Where it stands

29 cosponsors: 17 Republicans, 12 Democrats.

• Feb 14, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 14, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

9 lobbying clients named this bill on 14 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $1,798,009 in lobbying spend. A filing names 14 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 89% of bills with at least one filing.

Bryan Steil, the sponsor, reported $1,735,700 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• International Dairy Foods Association — $540,000 on 2 filings
• National Milk Producers Federation — $518,009 on 2 filings
• Dairy Farmers of America Inc — $300,000 on 1 filing
• Kerry Inc. and Affiliates Owned By Kerry Holding Co Including Niacet Corporation — $160,000 on 1 filing
• International Dairy Foods Association — $90,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.