MONTPELIER, Vt. — Twenty-five members of Congress have signed a letter arguing that if a milk product says it comes from soybeans, almonds or rice, then it should not be labeled as milk.
Reps. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, are leading the charge against “fake milk,” asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate and take action against manufacturers of “milk” that doesn’t come from cows.
They want the FDA to require that plant-based products adopt a more appropriate name, saying it’s deceptive to call those products milk.
“We strongly believe that the use of the term ‘milk’ by manufacturers of plantbased products is misleading to consumers, harmful to the dairy industry and a violation of milk’s standard of identity,” lawmakers said in the letter dated Dec. 16.
Dairy farmers are struggling with “deep cuts in income” because of a 40 percent drop in milk prices since 2014, the congressmen say. The forecast is for prices to remain low. In recent years, the sale of plant-based products, often labeled as milk, has jumped in recent years.
The lawmakers say milk has a clear standard of identity, one that is “obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows,” among other qualities.
“While consumers are entitled to choose imitation products, it is misleading and illegal for manufacturers of these items to profit from the ‘milk’ name,” the letter states.
The Soyfoods Association of North America said the term “soymilk” has been used on products for more than 100 years. It asked the FDA in 1997 to recognize the one-word name “soymilk,” but the agency has not made a decision on the petition.