Plant-based milk: Oat and soy milk can be called milk, suggests FDA

Soy, oat, almond and other beverages that label themselves as “dairy” may continue to use the name, according to a draft federal regulation released Wednesday.

Food and Drug Administration officials have issued guidance saying that plant-based drinks do not claim to be made from dairy products and that US consumers are not embarrassed by this.

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Dairy manufacturers have for years called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to crack down on plant-based drinks and other products that they say masquerade as animal products and obscure the true meaning of the word. “milk”.

Under the draft rules, the agency recommends that beverage makers clearly label their products for a plant-based food source, such as “soy milk” or “cashew milk.”

The rules also call for voluntary supplementary nutrition labels that note when drinks contain lower levels of nutrients than dairy milk, such as calcium, magnesium, or vitamin D. They will continue to allow labels that note, when plant-based drinks have a higher level. Fortified soy milk is the only plant-based product included in the dairy category under the US Dietary Guidelines due to its nutrient content.

The new guidelines aim to provide consumers with clear information about nutrition, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Kaliff said in a statement. The draft rules do not apply to non-dairy products other than beverages such as yogurt.

Plant-Based Milk: Here Are The Nutrients To Look For

The National Dairy Federation, an industry trade group, welcomed the call for more nutritional information on beverage labels, but said it rejected the FDA’s finding that plant-based beverages can be called milk because it is “a common and common name.”

The Good Nutrition Institute, a group that advocates for plant-based foods, objected to the additional labeling in a statement, saying “guidance wrongly recommends that companies make a direct comparison” with cow’s milk, even though the essential nutrients are already needed. listed.

In recent years, plant-based drinks have exploded to include dozens of varieties, including cashew, coconut, hemp, and quinoa-based drinks. Although drinks are made from liquid plant extracts, they are often labeled and described as “milk”.

In the US, almond milk is the most popular variety, but oat milk is showing the fastest growth. However, non-dairy sales are lagging behind traditional milk. Refrigerated cow’s milk sales rose to $12.3 billion in the 52 weeks ended January 28, compared to $2.5 billion for non-dairy milk, according to NielsenIQ.

Legislators in dairy states have tried in the past to pass bills that would require the FDA to enforce a federal standard that defines “milk” as the product of “the milking of one or more healthy cows.”

The Agency will accept comments on the draft guidelines by 23 April.

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AP business columnist Dee-Anne Durbin contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press Department of Health and Science receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science and Education Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.

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