Dean Foods publicly announced it is leaving the International Dairy Foods Association because the trade group has not aggressively opposed labeling of plant-based products with the words milk and other common dairy terms.

In an opinion piece published Oct. 8 on Wisconsin State Farmer, the company said: "We believe it is wrong that many plant-based products are currently marketed using milk's good name yet are lacking several of the inherent nutrients of their dairy counterparts. Unfortunately, IDFA has been unable to reach consensus and take a stance on this important issue."

"As a result, we have decided that we can no longer financially support an organization that is not behind one of our core priorities," the statement said.

In response, Matt Herrick, an IDFA spokesman, said the group wishes Dean Foods well but pointed out that it added more than 30 companies as members last year, according to an article posted on online agricultural news service The Fence Post.

How to push back against soy milk, almond milk and other plant-based products has vexed the dairy industry for years. The publication Food Dive notes that Dean Foods is the largest milk producer in the U.S. and—along with the National Milk Producers Federation—wants the Food and Drug Administration to stop non-dairy products from being labeled with words such as milk or cheese.

FDA sought comments on the labeling dispute in 2018 but has not yet ruled on the issue. http://bit.ly/2IGApcu

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