6 ms·
Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives
- Overtonwindow 4y agoNot quite, title is misleading. This is not a regulation, nor a proposal for a regulation, it is only FDA guidance for labeling. Specifically a draft seeking comment. Not for implementation. Contains non-binding recommendations. This guidance is being distributed for comment purposes only. Putting semantics and science aside, this is only a small fragment of the regulatory process and it could be a decade before anything is officially decided.
- realce 4y agohttps://www.fda.gov/media/165420/download https://www.fda.gov/media/165420/download Is there any actual logic in this document that supports why producers of fortified almond juice can call their product Milk other than "some people call it milk already?"
- jfengel 4y agoSeeing as that's the same reason that people call mammary extract "milk", yes. Words are what people call things, neither more nor less.
- foxyv 4y agoIf they were just labeling it "Milk" or mixing it into cow milk without letting anyone know, then I would be skeptical. But it's always labeled as just "Almond Milk." I don't think anyone will be confused there. We've always just called it that. I can't think of any other logic necessary really. I mean, why do we call anything what we do? Other than, that's what everyone calls it. For instance, why can Milk producers call it just "Milk" and not "Cow Milk" as well? Because that's what everyone calls it!
- bombcar 4y agoPeople don't have an issue with peanut butter having "butter" in it even though it has no butter in it.
- sbelskie 4y agoWhy would producers be unable to call a product by its commonly used named absent evidence of any real confusion or significant harm?
- moeris 4y agoWhy wouldn't they be able to? A milk is just a consumable suspension. Look to milk of magnesia, milk of the poppy, etc. It has a long history of being used in a general sense.
- pleb_nz 4y agoAccording to Wikipedia milk is https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk Unless there is another definition somewhere it would seem to me it should have it's own label sh it's clear to people a is different from b.
- jfengel 4y agoAccording to Wikipedia, "milk" is an ambiguous word referring to over a dozen different "drinkable fluids". Also a drag queen and a Dragon Ball character. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_(disambiguation) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_(disambiguation)
- chickenpotpie 4y agoThe same is true for butter, yet nobody has any qualms about "peanut butter" not being made of dairy products. The term "oat milk" is clear. It is made of oats and resembles milk.
- pleb_nz 4y agoAbsolutely, as long as they say oat milk then that's fine. I don't think they should be allowed to just say milk.
- chickenpotpie 4y agoThat's exactly what's being proposed. The document specifically says that the word milk should be proceeded by the plant used to make it.
- null0ranje 4y agoExcept peanut butter is not trying to be a substitute for butter.
- mrguyorama 4y agoA good example of how that doesn't matter is apple butter, which replaces neither peanut butter, or regular butter, and doesn't really resemble either, and which I've never seen anyone complain about the naming and the FDA will not go after any producer who makes it and labels it apple butter.
- guestbest 4y agoIf we had honest labeling there would be a lot less milk and broth/stock on the grocery. I’m also suspicious that nearly all cereals aren’t cereals but some kind of corn byproduct
- mardifoufs 4y agoWhat do you mean? Milk is so cheap (relatively speaking) that it makes little sense to me that it would be "substituted" with something else. But maybe I'm out of the loop here
- eachro 4y agoI'm curious what the true cost of dairy/soy/oat milk would be without gov subsidies.
- toomuchtodo 4y ago> true cost of dairy milk $6/gal https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-subsidies-lead-to-poverty-and-death-2010-04-09 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-subsidies-lead-to-pover... https://www.realagriculture.com/2018/02/u-s-dairy-subsidies-equal-73-percent-of-producer-returns-says-new-report/ https://www.realagriculture.com/2018/02/u-s-dairy-subsidies-... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17997055 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17997055 (The US spends about $22 billion on dairy subsidies each year) I imagine the true costs (and climate impact) of soy and oat milk are lesser than dairy because animal husbandry isn't involved. https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impact-milks https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impact-milks https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042
- guestbest 4y agoThere is no milk in soy or oats. It’s exhausting shopping for groceries with so much false advertising requiring having to read the fine print on every package for purchase.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- andrewdubinsky 4y agoNext on the FDA agenda is to designate the following as Orange Juice: * Orange Crush * Orange Fanta * Sunkist Orange Soda Seems only right given how great they're doing with the American diet and obesity.
- JoeAltmaier 4y agoMilk from grains has been around since the 1200's. It's not a new thing.
- pixl97 4y agoI mean drinking juice isn't going to have a significant calorie difference from soda. Juice or soda should never be a replacement for water.
- bombcar 4y agoPeople do NOT realize the caloric content of various juices, they can EASILY beat soda for calories per ounce. But I guess it's "good" calories or something.
- lotsofpulp 4y agoI have had pediatricians on both US coasts advise against regularly giving kids juice of any kind, as well as the periodic pamphlets the state sends out about childcare. Should be very common knowledge by now.
- jmclnx 4y agoWell all I want is to know if I buy Milk it is 100% Dairy Milk. I think Oat and Soy "Milk" taste real bad. Right now seems that is the case. Also, I wonder if there are people allergic to Soy and Oats ? Will law suites fly over this if labeling is confusing ?
- quantified 4y agoThis is being downvoted but I don't understand why. Obviously cow milk is the reference, it's the only one without adjectives. Even "goat" gets an adjective. If this is a concern for dairies, they can add "Real Cow" to the label.
- interestica 4y agoThese are 'draft guidelines'. Isn't it a more reasonable outcome to start labelling "milk" as "cow's milk"?
- cwmoore 4y agoLet me look that up on my rotary phone.
- deafpolygon 4y agoIsn't soy milk really just bean juice?
- wnoise 4y agoHence the joke that a vanilla soy latte is really a three-bean soup.
- jononomo 4y agoThe tragic consequence will be people drinking this oat and almond juice, thinking it is similar to milk in how healthful it is, and even giving it to children.
- chickenpotpie 4y agoI'm a vegan and I'm disappointed this is being down voted. This is a real concern and is even addressed by the FDA in the proposal. Plant based milks are not identical in vitamin content and can cause nutritional deficiencies if directly substituted. I'm in favor of this proposal, but this will happen to some extent. Some people will think it's nutritionally similar and will directly substituted it because of the name.
- cnqso 4y agoMost regular milk contains abnormally high quantities of endocrine disruptors/bioactive hormones. It probably is not very good to give to children.
- quantified 4y agoIt's tragic for how little those people think or know in the first place. Do they think Dairy Queen is a drag show?
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- cantaloupe 4y agoThe title of this post is misleading and should probably be changed. The guidelines are not that oat milk can be called “milk”, but rather that it is ok to use the word “milk” preceded by “oat” to label oat beverage.
- dang 4y agoYes. We've reverted the title now. Submitters: "Please use the original title, unless it is misleading or linkbait; don't editorialize." https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- cactusplant7374 4y agoWhy isn’t HN allowing me to submit links? I’m getting the your posting too fast nonsense. I am not.
- bryanlarsen 4y agoMilk is a generic term that has long referred to non-dairy milk. cf milkweed, other milky plant saps are also called milks. Also milk of magnesia and similar substances.
- quantified 4y agoMakes sense. Otherwise, we'd need to rename "skin cream" and never talk about "nut meats" again.