The dairy industry wants to add artificial sweeteners to milk (and other dairy products) without any special label to alert consumers. These additives are assocated with health problems like type 2 diabetes, depression, weight gain, heart attack, and stroke.
In a petition filed with the FDA, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) seek to change the definition of milk so that chemical sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose can be used as optional ingredients not listed on the product label.
These hidden additives could also be included in 17 other dairy products, including whipping cream, low-fat and non-fat yogurt, eggnog, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and half-and-half, without requiring any special labeling.