Farmers’ war on almond, soy ‘milk’
Farmers push the government to prevent non-dairy products from being labelled as ‘milk’.
Dairy farmers are fighting the plant-based milk revolution, pushing the federal government to take steps to prevent products which are not made of dairy from being labelled “milk”.
Advocacy group Australian Dairy Farmers has written to Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie and Chair of the Ministerial Food Forum Richard Colbeck pushing to prevent non-dairy “milks” such as almond or soy milk from labelling their products as milk.
The move would follow the European Union, who prohibited plant-based products calling their drinks “milk” without “clarifying terms” after a decision in the European Court of Justice in 2017.
ADF President Terry Richardson said the use of the word milk on products which are not dairy is confusing to consumers who might think almond milk has a similar nutritional profile as dairy milk.
“Australia needs to restore truth in product labelling so that consumers can make more accurate food and beverage choices,” Mr Richardson said.
“Over the past decade, a growing number of plant-based products have cropped up, using the name milk, co-opting the look and feel of dairy milk right down to the packaging, and trading on dairy’s reputation to gain a marketing advantage,” Mr Richardson said.
A survey done by the Dairy Australia in 2017 showed 54 per cent of respondents believed plant-based alternatives were healthier for them.