The FDA describes milk as “the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows.” That definition doesn’t leave room for vegan alternatives to call themselves “milk,” though a number of products on the market do.
Source: CNN, July 19, 2018. Link.
The agency is not commenting on its plans or Gottlieb’s observation that the government is “probably not” enforcing its own standard of identity for milk, but FDA press officer Deborah Kotz said that “food names inform consumers about what they’re buying, and standard of identities ensure that food meets certain standards in terms of what’s in it.”
INSIGHTS: Considering all the pressure on source verification, branding of animal-derived nutrition and farm-of-origin tracking, to ensure the animal brands such as beef, milk, and pork remain identified correctly seems logical. As we see beef burgers made from plant materials coming to market, it is time to call for similar tracking on the inputs in these products to ensure a safe food supply chain.
Petty on the part of the FDA. While I agree the non dairy alternatives might not all be healthy choices, one can call what one wants to call “milk”.