January 2026 Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar: Standards of Identity

On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from noon–1:00pm ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law conducted the latest installment in its Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar Series. Each quarter’s free one-hour webinar covers the legal and regulatory developments in the U.S. dairy industry from the preceding quarter and includes an in-depth look at a single focus topic of law, regulation, or government policy of interest to dairy professionals of all kinds. This quarter’s focus topic: Dairy Product Standards of Identity—Regulations and Current Issues This webinar provides an overview of the historical context and purpose of standards of identity (SOIs) as they apply to dairy and explains the main regulatory requirements for milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products. It also discusses recent developments, including the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) modernization of the yogurt SOI, FDA’s proposed revocation of 18 dairy SOIs, and challenges related to plant-based alternatives and the use of dairy terms. Additionally, this webinar reviews relevant case law concerning plant-based dairy labeling, highlighting disputes over nutritional differences and compliance with SOI requirements. 00:15 - Dairy Product Standards of Identity—Regulations and Current Issues with Chloe Marie 01:21 - What is a Standard of Identity? 02:51 - SOIs in the Dairy Industry 04:11 - FDA Modernization of the Yogurt SOI 15:57 - FDA Review of High-Protein Yogurt 16:58 - FDA's "Test Market" Approach 19:31- FDA Proposal to Repeal Certain Dairy SOIs 23:35 - Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives and SOIs 27:14 - Dairy Names, Non-Dairy Products 32:27 - Conclusion