FDA proposes to let almond, soy, other plant-based milks advertise simply as milk

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FDA milk proposal overview: 

• Who: The FDA has released draft guidance that plant-based beverages can keep using the name “milk.”
• Why: In the past, the milk industry has pushed to have the word only used for products that come from milking cows.
• Where: The FDA milk rules would apply to companies in the United States

Federal food regulators with the the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have released a proposal saying the word “milk” should not only apply to milk from a cow in new draft federal rules, heralding a tentative win for producers of soy, oat and almond milks.

On Feb. 24, the FDA issued guidance stating plant-based beverages don’t mislead U.S. consumers into thinking they are milk from dairy animals.

The news comes after years of campaigning from dairy producers and legislators in dairy-producing states who want the FDA to crack down on plant-based drinks they say confuse people about the real meaning of “milk.”

However, under the newly-released draft federal rules, the FDA recommends that alternative milk producers can continue using the word, as long as they clearly label them by the plant source of the food, such as “soy milk” or “cashew milk.”

“Today’s draft guidance was developed to help address the significant increase in plant-based milk alternative products that we have seen become available in the marketplace over the past decade,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf says in a statement. 

“The draft recommendations issued today should lead to providing consumers with clear labeling to give them the information they need to make informed nutrition and purchasing decisions on the products they buy for themselves and their families.”

Extra nutrition labels required, FDA recommends

The rules also call for voluntary extra nutrition labels that note when the drinks have lower levels of nutrients than dairy milk, such as calcium, magnesium or vitamin D. 

They would continue to allow labels that note when plant-based drinks have higher levels of nutrients. The FDA will accept comments on the draft guidelines through April 23.

In other FDA news, the government agency recently issued a warning to Lyons Magnus after a major 2022 recall of its products from brands Glucerna, Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Aloha, Kate Farms and Premier Protein led to findings that one of the company’s processing facilities was in violation of food safety regulations.

What do you think of the FDA’s guidance on the use of the word “milk”? Let us know in the comments! 

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