March 3, 2023- The FDA released a Draft Guidance Feb. 22 to help ensure appropriate labeling of plant-based products that are marketed and sold as alternatives to milk. This draft guidance will provide industry with recommendations that will result in clear labeling to fill consumers with information to help them better understand plant-based milks. It also states PBMA (Plant-Based Milk Alternatives) with common and usual names have been established by common use these names include “soy milk” and “almond milk.”
The FDA Recommends that PBMA products labeled with milk include a voluntary nutrient statement that conveys how the product compares with milk. Should the companies follow this suggestion then customers would have a more informed choice to choose from. However should a PBMA not be labeled as milk the FDA has stated that the Draft guidance does not apply to the drink.
Dairy farmers all over are upset by the PBMA companies using the word “milk” on their product labels, stating that it isn’t truly milk unless it comes from a cow. That’s why dairy farmers and advocates have been pushing for a name change for products such as almond, soy, and oat milk. They want the Food and Drug Administration to adjust the labeling of calling plant-based beverages “milk.”
