Plant-based milks may have to change name
FDA should consider broadening standard vs. altering label
When it comes to milk at the grocery store, one’s options aren’t limited to the traditional “milk.”
Soy milk. Almond milk. Cashew milk. Coconut milk. There are several varieties on the market, and the list seems to continually grow.
If one visits the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the first definition for milk is, “a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young,” followed by “milk from an animal and especially a cow used as food by people.”
And that’s probably what the vast majority of Americans consider “milk” at the store — cow’s milk.
The third definition, however, addresses the plant issue: “a food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow’s milk * coconut milk * soy milk.”
However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may be cracking down on the use of “milk.”
According to The Associated Press, the agency recently signaled it would start enforcing a federal standard that defines “milk” as coming from the “milking of one or more healthy cows.” The federal parameters are narrower than the dictionary definition.
The change won’t happen any time soon. According to the AP, “the FDA will have to first develop guidance notifying companies of the change and ask for public comment. That guidance will probably be issued in a year.”
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb also noted that the agency expects to be sued, because the dictionary definitions are broader. The question is an interesting one. Plant-based milks are very clear and careful in their labeling process. Soy milk, for example, is very clearly labeled as such, as are the other plant-based milks. Cow’s milk is also clearly labeled, as is the percentage of fat that the milk contains — skim milk, 1 percent, 2 percent, whole, etc.
These “non-traditional” milks, for lack of a better term, don’t fit the current FDA definition of “milk.” But that doesn’t mean plant-based milks have to give up the moniker. Instead, the FDA could simply change its own definition.
Otherwise, the plant-based options would have to face the costs of redoing all branding and packaging — and that’s a heavy expense.
The FDA could also be facing added costs, if the decision to drop “milk” as a moniker for plant-based choices lands in court.
What do you think, readers? Should plant-based milks be able to use the term “milk,” or should they be called something else?
Let us know. Share your thoughts online at www. YumaSun.com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com.
On June 29, my husband and I went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate our 62nd wedding anniversary. When we put our name in, a young couple moved into the waiting area so we could have a closer seat. We had our dinner and enjoyed the celebration. We asked for our bill and were told that it had been taken care of. We don’t know who took care of it but think it was the same young couple. We want to say THANK YOU to the people who did it. It’s wonderful to know that we have wonderful people here in Yuma. Again, thank you so much.
Sincerely,