Agriculture

Confused about the term 'soy milk'? FDA wants to know

Updated : September 28, 2018 10:25 AM IST

The call for comments, being published Thursday , comes after FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb signaled in July the agency might start going after non-dairy drinks that call themselves milk

Milk is one of a range of foods that have federal standards, which are supposed to ensure the quality of products on supermarket shelves.

Some makers of plant-based drinks say the standards are outdated and are used to fend off competition.

Confused about the term 'soy milk'? FDA wants to know

Do people understand the differences between milk and soy and rice "milk"?

That's what the Food and Drug Administration is asking as it considers whether soy and other non-dairy products can keep calling themselves "milk." Right now, federal standards define milk as coming from a cow.

The call for comments, being published Thursday , comes after FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb signaled in July the agency might start going after non-dairy drinks that call themselves milk. The dairy industry for years has called for just such a crackdown.

Milk is one of a range of foods that have federal standards, which are supposed to ensure the quality of products on supermarket shelves.

Some makers of plant-based drinks say the standards are outdated and are used to fend off competition.

Have you signed up for Primo, our daily newsletter?

It has all the stories and data on the market, business, economy and tech that you need to know.

To keep watching CNBC-TV18, India's No. 1 English Business News Channel, call your Cable or DTH Operator and subscribe now for just Rs. 4 per month. You can also subscribe to CNBC-TV18 Prime HD for Re 1/- per month.Find out more