A bipartisan bill introduced by a dairy country lawmaker would create a formal definition of “natural cheese” to ensure consumers are fully informed when purchasing cheese. 

Representative Ron Kind, a Democrat from Wisconsin, this week introduced the bipartisan Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions Act, called the CURD Act.

Kind says the bill “will give customers the information they need to continue buying the quality Wisconsin cheese their families have used for generations.”

The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association says the legislation “preserves our industry’s ability to use this term to describe cheese made naturally with fresh milk and dairy ingredients.” 

Cheesemakers have been using this term for decades to differentiate “Natural Cheese” from “Pasteurized Process Cheese” in the grocery store. 

The term “natural cheese” is historically used to identify cheeses made directly from milk and distinguish those products from pasteurized process cheeses.

It describes cheese that is made from milk to which salt, enzymes, and flavorings can be added, and is the result of the fermentation of milk by adding starter culture.