Advocacy & Engagement

The American Cheese Society engages with regulators and other key stakeholders on a regular basis to advance issues of importance to our members and the industry. This work keeps American cheesemakers, and particularly traditional cheesemaking practices, top-of-mind for industry decision-makers.

Position Statements

The ACS Food Safety & Regulatory Committee works to shed light on issues, policies, regulations, and research that impact ACS members., The committee strives to review the facts and make recommendations to the Board of Directors on ACS positions and actions.

Engagement with FDA

ACS engages with FDA on a regular basis via in-person meetings and phone calls to ensure open lines of communication and to build understanding of our industry. Review the Advocacy & Engagement Timeline. 

ACS meets annually with FDA in the spring of each year. Attendance depends on the issues at hand, and generally includes ACS’s Executive Director, Board President, and members of the Regulatory & Academic Committee. Read a recap of our most recent FDA meeting here.

ACS invites an FDA representative to present to members at the ACS Annual Conference each year. This allows attendees to hear updates on issues relevant to ACS members directly from FDA.

Artisan Cheese Safety Advisory Team

The Artisan Cheese Safety Advisory Team is a consortium of dairy industry leaders that was formed to enhance artisan cheese food safety and pathogen control by developing clear, easily accessible resources and training, including: