The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) is urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce food standards regarding the labeling of dairy products and prohibit the labeling of nut-based and plant-based food products as “milk.”
“Products identified as almond milk, soy milk, and similar items are not being held to the same FDA standards as milk and dairy products that come from healthy cows, yet they still benefit by using the term ‘milk’ on their packaging,” PFB President Rick Ebert said. “Through their packaging, labeling, and location in the refrigerated dairy section, these imitation products directly compete with and are marketed as substitutes for beverage milk products. It’s time for FDA to enforce its existing rule and forbid imitation nut and plant juices from advertising and labeling their products as milk.”
Consumers can mistakenly believe plant and nut-based drinks are nutritionally equivalent to dairy products, PFB said. Products need to be accurately labeled so customers can make informed purchasing decisions, the bureau said.
Heavily processed imitation products are marketed as natural substitutes, Ebert said, but they contain sugar, carbohydrates, sweeteners, thickeners, emulsifiers and artificially added nutrients.
Incorrectly labeled nut-based and plant-based food products have also eroded traditional milk’s market share, Ebert said.
“[It] has placed a further burden on struggling dairy farmers in Pennsylvania and across the United States,” he said.