Vegetable drinks have generated controversy for a long time between those who call them "milk" and those who defend the opposite. In the United States they have decided to end this long battle between the dairy industry and plant-based concoctions. Soy, oat and almond drinks may keep the word "milk" in their names and packaging, as reported by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), although they must indicate the nutritional differences with milk of animal origin on the labeling.
Most consumers, the organization notes in its draft proposal, know that liquid plant extracts have no relationship to animal milk. The information is obtained from a consultation carried out by the FDA in which they received more than 13,000 comments. This investigation allowed us to determine that there is a general awareness that vegetable drinks do not contain milk and that, precisely, customers buy it because they are not.
The debate began four decades ago with the market introduction of soy-based beverages. In recent years, it has been taking on a greater dimension with the appearance of various options made from oats, rice, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and many others. The incorporation of these beverages into healthy diets, but also their consumption by those who are lactose intolerant or vegan, has led to some products such as oat "milk" enjoying solid growth, while milk intake has experienced a downward trajectory for decades.
Despite allowing them to be called "milk," the FDA points to the possibility that many consumers are unaware of the nutritional differences between milk and products classified as vegetable drinks. For example, almond or oat-based beverages may contain calcium and be consumed as a source of it, but their overall nutritional content is not similar to that of cow's milk.
For this reason, the body has made a concession in the face of pressure and the rejection of the decision by traditional milk producers. Despite being able to be considered as such, the preliminary recommendation is that beverages of plant origin clearly indicate on their packaging the nutritional differences between their products and cow's milk, as a comparison. If a carton of rice milk contains less vitamin D or calcium than animal milk, for example, the label will need to provide that information to consumers.
"Food labels are an important way to support consumer behavior," the FDA says in the draft, so "we encourage the voluntary expression of nutritional values to help customers make informed decisions."
Makers of oat, soy and almond beverages in the United States have applauded the labeling of their products as "milk", but were not so kind to having to compare their products to cow's milk on the packaging. Although the labeling recommendations are described as voluntary, the agency plans to issue a final decision after another consultation period.
Dairy foods are recommended by dietary guidelines as part of a healthy eating pattern and contribute multiple key nutrients, including protein and vitamins A and B-12, as well as calcium, potassium and vitamin D, which are currently "not consumed in proper amounts."
These guidelines only include fortified soy beverages in the dairy group, since their nutritional composition is similar to that of milk. However, the components of plant-based milks vary widely between different types of beverages and, according to the entity, many of them do not contain the same essential nutrients as cow's milk.
The report issued does not apply to other products of plant origin that are alternatives to dairy, such as plant-based cheese or yogurt. The FDA is in the process of developing draft guidance to address the labeling and naming of alternative plant-based products.
