Federal law finally defines 'natural cheese'—here's what changes
H.R. 1394 — CURD Act · Filed by Bryan Steil (R-WI) · 20 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 14, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
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.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
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')