CURD Act

This bill sets a clear, national meaning for “natural cheese.” It says natural cheese is made from milk (or certain dairy ingredients) using regular cheese-making methods. It does not include pasteurized process cheeses, cheese foods, cheese spreads, cold pack cheeses, or similar products. If a product doesn’t meet this definition, it can’t use “natural cheese” on the label. Regular “natural” or “all-natural” claims may still be used if they follow existing FDA rules and guidance .

This helps shoppers know what they’re buying and makes labeling more consistent across the country by tying the term to FDA standards for cheese identity and misbranding rules .

• Who is affected: cheese makers, food companies, grocery stores, and shoppers who look for “natural cheese” on labels .
• What changes: “Natural cheese” gets a legal definition; processed and spreadable cheese products can’t use that term; labels must follow one national standard .
• What it means day to day: clearer labels in the dairy aisle and fewer confusing claims on processed cheese products .