The Dairy Lobby Is Threatening To Ban Almond, Soy, and Coconut Milk Labels
Source: Institute for Justice
The Dairy Lobby is pushing for a bill, called the Dairy Pride Act, that would force the FDA to ban products from being labeled as milk that do not fit the legal definition of milk. Milk is legally defined as the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows (notice the term was exclusively defined to the benefit of the dairy industry) ;however, the FDA has thus far refused to enforce this definition as evident by the fact that we can buy almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk and other dairy substitute products in the grocery store. Supporters of the bill claim that it would prevent consumers from being deceived by dairy substitutes that are labeled as milk, but I'm pretty sure people who drink almond milk and soy milk are aware that it doesn't come from cows; besides, cows aren't the only animals that can produce lacteal secretions. Will the Dairy Lobby not be content until the term breast milk is also illegal? As IJ notes, consumption of dairy milk has declined 37% over the past four decades while Almond milk sales have risen 250% just in the last five years. Other non-dairy milks have also risen in popularity so I think this is more of a case of sore loser-itus.
To read the original article go to The Red Tape Times
Update: the Dairy Pride Act (S.130) is still in the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions