VOTE: Should the word 'milk' be saved for animal products?

Dairyfarmers, along with the Nationals are aiming to have the word "milk” reserved for products that come from livestock

VOTE: Plant-based milks are becoming a popular alternative to traditional dairy products. Picture: dropStock

DAIRYFARMERS, along with the Nationals are aiming to have the word "milk" reserved for products that come from livestock.

The bid comes as a move for "true labelling", which would stop alternative plant-based beverages using the word milk in marketing and advertising.

If it goes ahead, popular milk alternatives, such as almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk would not be able to be called milk.

According to a survey by Dairy Australia in 2017, 54 per cent of respondents bought plant-based milk alternatives because they deemed them to be healthier than dairy.

But market research firm IBISWorld estimates Australia's plant-based "milk" product industry has grown at an annualised rate of 4.1 per cent over the five years to 2018-19, to $165.8 million today.

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