Butter Institute Seeks Action against “Dairy-Free” Butter

In a strongly-worded complaint to the Food and Drug Administration this week, America’s butter marketers asked the agency to take action against Country Crock’s “dairy-free salted butter.”  The marketers assert that the product’s label violates federal regulations.  The plant-based spread’s front label, in bold letters, describes itself as a form of butter, although federal standards of identity define butter as a product made from milk.  In reality, and as admitted in the much smaller font on the package label, the Country Crock products describe themselves as 79% plant-based oil spreads.  

“Country Crock is attempting to leverage the premium perception of real dairy butter maintained by consumers,” said Chris Galen, executive director of the American Butter Institute. “The manufacturer is clearly trying to confuse the consumers about what this product is: an ultra-processed seed oil concoction.

“This product may indeed be a crock from the country, but it’s not butter,” Galen added.

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