Consumer Group Calls for Action on Milk Protein Concentrates in Yogurt

Food & Water Watch has called on supporters to tell the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they do not want milk protein concentrates (MPCs) in their dairy products. According to the advocacy group, unregulated imports of inexpensive MPCs “are driving down the price of domestically produced milk and putting American dairy farmers out of business.” Food & Water Watch also claims, “No one
in the government is checking to make sure that they’re safe to eat, and now FDA is thinking about letting them be used to make yogurt.” FDA is apparently considering an industry proposal to change yogurt’s “standard of identity” to allow the use of MPCs.

The organization explains in its call for action how MPCs are created and then used as an additive in processed cheeses, frozen dairy desserts, crackers, and energy bars. While most MPCs used in the United States are apparently imported, “MPCs have never been tested enough to make the list of food ingredients FDA considers to be safe—and they are not allowed in some dairy products that have regulations on how they are made.” See Food & Water Watch Online Alert, March 27, 2009.