cheryl
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Staff member
Local dairy producers question use of ‘milk’ in vegetable products - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Switching to coconut, soy and almond milks may be the newest health trend, but some dairy farmers say it shouldn’t be marketed as milk - and now the FDA is wondering the same thing.
The Food and Drug Administration suggested that plans may soon be in place to start enforcing a federal standard that defines “milk” as coming from the “milking of one or more healthy cows.” The enforcement of the definition is long overdue for Bernadette Mulliken, local dairy farmer and owner of Vista Grande Dairy in Plainview.
“I always think it’s the consumer’s choice, but the one thing I’d like to stress is that milk is natural,” said Mulliken. “Milk is nature’s super food, it has nine natural vitamins and minerals, whereas the plant-based drinks are fortified proteins. They are not natural. Milk should be labeled as milk, and I don’t think plant-based beverages should be called milk that are not from a lactating animal.”
Switching to coconut, soy and almond milks may be the newest health trend, but some dairy farmers say it shouldn’t be marketed as milk - and now the FDA is wondering the same thing.
The Food and Drug Administration suggested that plans may soon be in place to start enforcing a federal standard that defines “milk” as coming from the “milking of one or more healthy cows.” The enforcement of the definition is long overdue for Bernadette Mulliken, local dairy farmer and owner of Vista Grande Dairy in Plainview.
“I always think it’s the consumer’s choice, but the one thing I’d like to stress is that milk is natural,” said Mulliken. “Milk is nature’s super food, it has nine natural vitamins and minerals, whereas the plant-based drinks are fortified proteins. They are not natural. Milk should be labeled as milk, and I don’t think plant-based beverages should be called milk that are not from a lactating animal.”