3-3-23 fda plant based milk draft guidance

The Fond du Lac County Dairy and Livestock extension agent admits it hurts that draft U.S. rules would allow plant-based drunks that bill themselves as milk to keep using the name.   The Food and Drug Administration says plant-based beverages don’t pretend to be from dairy animals and consumers aren’t confused by the difference.  Fond du Lac County Dairy and Livestock extension agent Tina Kohlman says the rules also call for voluntary extra  nutrition labels  that note when the drinks have lower levels of nutrients than dairy milk.  Kohlman says the draft guidelines help clarify the nutritional differences between dairy and plant-based milk.  Dairy producers for years have called for the FDA to crack down on plant-based drinks they say masquerade as animal-based foods and clood the real meaning of “milk.”   Under the draft rules, the agency recommends beverage makers label their products clearly by the plant source of the food such as “soy milk” or   “cashew milk.”