Many people love soy milk, but in the opinion of at least two dairy industry associations, if the "milk" doesn't come from a cow or other animal, then it isn't milk.

The National Milk Producers Federation and International Dairy Foods Association is applauding efforts by federal lawmakers to have government regulators crack down on products labeled "milk" if they have no dairy products in them.

In a joint statement, the two associations noted 34 U.S. House members have asked the Food and Drug Administration to investigation and take action against products labeled as milk, but made from various plants, including soy, almonds, rice and coconuts. The groups have similar concerns about plant-based products labeled cheese and yogurt.

"You haven't ‘got milk' if it comes from a seed, nut or bean," NMPF CEO Jim Mulhern said. "In the many years since we first raised concerns about the misbranding of these products, we've seen an explosion of imitators attaching the word ‘milk' to everything from hemp to peas to algae."

IDFA CEO Michael Dykes added that while "imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery," milk labels on plant-based foods "can mislead people into thinking these products are comparable replacements for milk, when in fact most are nutritionally inferior." http://bit.ly/2hZfEg1

Associations representing soy producers and other farmers say the dairy groups are crying over spilled milk. Most people who buy non-dairy milk know exactly what they're getting, Nancy Chapman, executive director of Soyfoods Association of North America, told the Washington Post.

"Folks are selecting soy milk because they know it's not from dairy," she said. http://bit.ly/2ijFzMe

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