The IDFA (International Dairy Foods Association) and NMPF (National Milk Producers Federation) jointly submitted a citizen petition on March 16, 2009, requesting that FDA amend the standard of identity in part 131 for milk. Specifically, the petition requests that FDA amend to allow the use of “any safe and suitable” sweetener in optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk.

The petition also requests that FDA similarly amend the standards of identity for 17 other milk and cream products. Those standards referred to as the “additional dairy standards” are as follows: Acidified milk, cultured milk, sweetened condensed milk, nonfat dry milk, nonfat dry milk fortified with vitamins A and D, evaporated milk, dry cream, heavy cream, light cream, light whipping cream, sour cream, acidified sour cream, eggnog, half-and-half, yogurt, lowfat yogurt, and nonfat yogurt.

They basically want to be able to put ingredients such as Aspertame in our milk products without listing them on the label to make the products more desirable. Here's what the petition says:

IDFA and NMPF argue that nutrient content claims such as "reduced calorie" are not attractive to children, and maintain that consumers can more easily identify the overall nutritional value of milk products that are flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners if the labels do not include such claims. Further, the petitioners assert that consumers do not recognize milk -- including flavored milk -- as necessarily containing sugar. Accordingly, the petitioners state that milk flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners should be labeled as milk without further claims so that consumers can "more easily identify its overall nutritional value."

I have an adverse reaction to aspertame where I suffer vertigo and severe vomiting therfore I check labels and avoid anything with Aspertame in it....so I have a MAJOR problem with this. This would mean by eating any of these dairy products I would risk days of vertigo and vomiting because they want to make more money. Screw you

Federal Register | Flavored Milk; Petition to Amend the Standard of Identity for Milk and 17 Additional Dairy Products