Stop calling almond, soy and rice milks 'milk,' 25 members of Congress say

[SecularMotion]

Got milk? Twenty-five members of Congress say if it's from soybeans, almond or rice, it should not be labeled as milk.

Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), leading the bipartisan charge against “fake milk,” signed a letter along with other congressional members, asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate and take action against manufacturers of “milk” that doesn't come from cows.

They want the FDA to require plant-based products to adopt a name other than milk, which they say is deceptive.

“We strongly believe that the use of the term ‘milk’ by manufacturers of plant-based products is misleading to consumers, harmful to the dairy industry and a violation of milk's standard of identity,” the letter states.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-almond-milk-soy-milk-20161223-story.html

[mucifer]

1. So stupid. They don't have any real issues to deal with besides bending over

to a struggling dairy industry. Do they really think people believe almond milk and soy milk comes from cows? Aren't the crazy amounts of subsidies to the factory farming industry enough?

[Cha]

2. Yeah, people are so dumb they confuse almond milk and

cow's.. according to 25% of congress.

[mucifer]

6. It's all about the lobbying

[Ptah]

42. 25 percent?

535 / 4 = 133.

[underpants]

8. Sounds like a messure on behalf of the dairy industry

I'm sure they are just doing it out of concern.

[pangaia]

51. You think if people were stupid enough to vote for trump

they are not stupid enough to think Almond milk comes from cows?

[freedomjam]

3. Substantial Equivalence

Of course, the old "substantial equivalence" gag is okay if frankentomatoes Inc lobbies to be equated to regular tomatoes on the grocery shelf.

http://gmoinside.org/substantial-equivalence/

[Archae]

36. First post and you use to shove propaganda.

"GMO inside" is an organic lobby, and one of those on their "steering committee" is the discredited Jeffrey Smith from Maharishi Yogi "college."

Your term "frankentomatoes" shows just how devoted to bullshit you are.

[SidDithers]

40. I vote to leave...

Sid

[Judi Lynn]

53. Of course! Welcome to D.U., freedomjam.

[woodsprite]

4. I guess the companies thought it sounded better than "nut juice". N/t

[nini]

61. LOL

That's very true and damned funny

[Freddie]

5. Sadly there have been cases

Of vegan parents feeding their babies and toddlers these "milk" products instead of real milk or baby formula and causing severe health problems or brain damage
due to malnutrition

[mucifer]

7. Warnings are on all of the almond, rice, soy and other milks

There have been very rare cases where this has occurred. Vegans know to breast feed or use non dairy based baby formulas.

Warnings on the labels work better for vegan parents than changing what the product is named. We vegans do a lot of substituting. Just because something is called flax seed or apple sauce doesn't mean I'm not going to put it in a recipe in place of an egg.

[Luminous_Animal]

13. Sadly there are cases of parents feeding babies cow milk causing severe health

problems, both short and long term.

[LeftyMom]

50. Babies can't drink cow's milk, either.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22043881

Babies who aren't getting human milk need something that's been supplemented with many vitamins and a lot of added fats to be as much like human milk as possible.

[Donkees]

9. Milk definition:

Milk definition:

3. any liquid resembling this, as the liquid within a coconut, the juice or sap of certain plants, or various pharmaceutical preparations.


milkweed sap

[mucifer]

11. Thank you!

[sl8]

17. True enough, but that's not the definition that the FDA currently uses

Last edited Sun Dec 25, 2016, 10:18 AM - Edit history (1)

From https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=131.110
Or
http://milkfacts.info/Milk%20Processing/Standards%20of%20Identity.htm :

"Sec. 131.110 Milk.
(a) Description. Milk is the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows. ... "

Of course, the FDA definition could be changed to include plant based milk.

[sl8]

22. Also, lawsuit attempting to pin down FDA on their position:

From:
http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/06/08/food-group-seeks-clarity-on-soy-milk-labels.htm

Food Group Seeks Clarity on Soy-Milk Labels
By ROSE BOUBOUSHIAN

(CN) — The Food and Drug Administration warned soy-milk producers to stop calling it "milk," but the agency has used the term and let companies use it for decades, a nonprofit claims.
The Good Food Institute, or GFI, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that says it is "working toward a healthy, humane, and sustainable food supply," sued the Food and Drug Administration in D.C. Federal Court on Monday.
The dispute stems in part from nonparty Soyfoods Association of America allegedly asking the FDA to formally recognize "soy milk" as the common name for "liquid food derived from the cooking and processing of whole soybeans with water" in 1997.
Though the agency never responded, it has since used the name soy milk, which entered the U.S. market decades ago but has "a long history dating back centuries," Monday's complaint states.
...

[Donkees]

23. FDA allows Milk of Magnesia labeling?

Definition of milk
1
a : a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young; especially : cow's milk used as a food by humans
b : lactation <cows in milk>
2
: a liquid resembling milk in appearance: as
a : the latex of a plant
b : the juice of a coconut composed of liquid endosperm
c : the contents of an unripe kernel of grain

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milk

[sl8]

24. Presumably they do allow it, although I don't know specifically

They're also allowing the various plant milks to be sold as such, albeit, apparently not entirely consistently.

In general, I think it essential that the various food and drug laws and regulations have very specific definitions of terms and not rely on all of the different definitions that the various dictionary publishers are aware of. Think of some of the dictionary definitions of "cheese" and how inappropriate some of them would be as dinner fare.

That said, I have no problem with the plant milks being sold as "Soy Milk", "Almond Milk", etc.

[pangaia]

52. Try THAT on your granola !!

[yewberry]

43. So breast milk isn't milk, by this definition.

Good luck selling that. I guess babies will be getting mammary juice from now on?

[spooky3]

54. Nor goat's milk.

[still_one]

21. Exactly. coconut milk anyone?

[dembotoz]

10. Think they have a valid point

Labels are important

[JudyM]

25. Because consumers might be confused or deceived that coconut milk is actually from cows?

[dembotoz]

38. If we learned anything in November...It that many Americans are profoundly stupid

So yes we need labels on cups that hot coffee is hot and that coconut milk is different from the cow stuff

[JudyM]

39. Ok. Or a tempest in a teapot designed to help the dairy lobby, instead of solving real problems.

[Johnathan146]

63. Then let the idiots drink their almond milk, thinking it comes from cows

Why would I care if people are too stupid to figure out that almond milk comes from almonds.

[Tanuki]

69. I would care if they are giving it to their young children,

who will not get the calcium and protein they need.

[Johnathan146]

70. Really young kids (under 1 year) shouldnt drink milk anyway

And if they are older than that they can get calcium and protein from other sources if they choose

Plus, I really doubt there are a lot of people who think almond milk is the same as dairy milk.

[Tanuki]

72. The longer I live, the less credit I give people for making choices based on thoughtful

analysis. Nov. 8, for instance.
I rarely buy almond milk unless I am having people over whom I know to be vegans. I obviously know it's not "milk", but I never really thought about the nutritional difference until I saw a stark comparison of several "milks" in Consumer Reports.

[hunter]

74. Drinking factory farm cow's milk ought to be discouraged.

Everything the modern dairy industry has to say about milk and nutrition is bullshit. Humans don't need it. Avoiding cow's milk greatly reduces a person's footprint on the natural environment.

I don't say this easily. Most of my ancestors were cattle ranchers and dairy people.

Sure, we've still got a few happy California dairy cows eating grass on the hillsides, but most dairy products come from abused cows living on mountains of their own shit, cows who are sold as cheap ground beef and meat by-products as soon as their milk production drops.

I'm a hypocrite, I did use some canned evaporated milk in my holiday recipes, I like various cheeses, and my wife regularly buys live culture yogurts. But I don't pay any attention at all to the propaganda of the dairy industry.

If I had my way, I'd ban milk in school lunches.

The problem with our economic system is that once big money starts flowing through an industry, that industry can start buying politicians and propaganda. Even when that industry is harmful to human health and the natural environment. It's as true for factory farm dairy products as it is for oil. This thing we call "economic productivity" is a direct measure of the damage we are doing to the natural environment and our own human spirit.

[handmade34]

12. so sorry

that Rep Welch signed onto this... the dairy lobbying is strong

Every five years, with guidance from scientists and heavy lobbying from corporate food and agriculture interests—including the $36 billion dairy industry—the US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services issue dietary guidelines for the nation...Much of the research on dairy is funded by science institutes at companies like Dannon and Nestlé...

Dairy companies spent nearly $63 million on federal lobbying and gave $24 million to candidates between 2004 and 2014.


taxpayers spend an estimated $4.5 billion a year to subsidize dairy

many perfectly healthy societies consume very few milk products...it seems quite clear that dairy is not essential

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/10/dairy-industry-milk-federal-dietary-guidelines

[tavernier]

14. I buy almond milk because it keeps

far longer than the dairy products that can quickly spoil and sour. A shame there isn't a similar alternative to congress.

[lunasun]

15. So true

[Donkees]

16. Milk of Magnesia

[Gman]

30. The product is not called milk of almonds.

[bowens43]

18. idiots.

[democratisphere]

19. When our elected representatives in Congress spend our time

and our dime on this type of fake legislation; it's time to put these idiots on part time pay without benefits. There is no wonder their favorable ratings are in the single digits. Further, I have no disrespect for cows; just many of the Washington and State politicians.

[Grey Lemercier]

20. They can sod off, and cow milk is bad news, especially the shit some industrial farming

peddles in the US. Loaded with antibiotics, hormones and steroids. Shameful to see Democrats sign onto this shit. Fucking lobbyists.

http://www.peta.org/living/food/reasons-stop-drinking-milk/

[Gman]

29. This has zero to do with being a Democrat

And some people wonder why people who's natural place is in the Democratic Party voted for Trump. It's stuff like this.

[Grey Lemercier]

32. Calling out ridiculous posturing bought and paid for by lobbyist cash

is entirely my right, and as a progressive DEMOCRAT, it is a natural stance. And cow milk is overall unhealthy. None of my statements are over the top and certainly are not costing us votes. Is it your opinion that we vegans need to go under the bus too?

Sometimes I wonder if this is a liberal board.

[Gman]

64. That is absurd

The Democratic Party doesn't care about milk. Milk is not unhealthy.

I cant believe I'm even having to say this.

[Grey Lemercier]

65. Milk for many is very unhealthy. This whole conversation's premiss

ie. certian bought and paid for members of Congress trying to forbid almond milk, soy milk etc. from being labeled milk is absurd. I am a vegan, and I daresay we are overall much more healthy than the average American or Brit. Industrial animal farming as practised on some many levels is terribly environmentaly unhealthy for the ecosphere of the planet as well, not to mention barbarous.

[Gman]

71. I drink milk. I have for over 60 years

I'm still alive. And as far as healthy, I'll arm wrestle you anytime. Many good farmers are dairy farmers. I don't fault them for having advocates and joining together in mutual aid. Gee, that sounds like a union.

[yuiyoshida]

26. No doubt the war on "Milk" will be started on O'Reilly's FOx News any day now..

[TheBlackAdder]

27. The funny thing is that people buy Almond Milk when there are only 6-8 almonds pressed per quart.

.


That's the real fucking crime.


.

[Donkees]

44. 'Cow milk is about 87% water' :)

http://ansci.illinois.edu/static/ansc438/Milkcompsynth/milkcomp_water.html

[TheBlackAdder]

68. So are people. Still, 6-8 almonds equates to a fraction of 1% and pressed--the volume of 2 almonds.

[Donkees]

73. Different brands have different percentages. The supermarket brands are usually more watery

The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75%. The average adult human body is 50-65% water, averaging around 57-60%. The percentage of water in infants is much higher, typically around 75-78% water, dropping to 65% by one year of age.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/waterchemistry/f/How-Much-Of-Your-Body-Is-Water.htm

[Gman]

28. Don't call it milk. Problem solved

Why do the vegans have to have a concoction and call it by the meat name anyway? Just eat or drink the real thing. Or don't. But don't call it what it's not. It's not milk.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

31. Ridiculous! What about products with the words "cream" and "butter"?

Are they next in line to be targeted?

I use almond milk because it lasts far longer than cow's milk. More importantly, I'm lactose intolerant! If I'd known that back in high school, I wouldn't have always drank those damn little cartons of milk at lunchtime. I felt compelled to skip all after-school activities so I could "relieve the pressure" at home!

The high school tennis coach begged me to join the team after he saw me play (after my many years of practice against a much older brother, which we did strictly for fun), but I knew I'd be a farting machine by the afternoon when they practiced!

I always assumed "lactose intolerant" meant something deadly, like a peanut allergy. I didn't know back then it could simply result in a build up of "deadly" gases in the intestines!

[MrScorpio]

33. All hail The Dairy Lobby and their loyal Supporters

Hail!

[RandiFan1290]

34. Are the animal abusing scumbags losing money?

Good!

[Squinch]

35. Dear Congress: Twitler is about to start a nuclear war. Isn't there something you should be doing?

[Buckeye_Democrat]

37. No kidding!

It wouldn't surprise me at all if he's still clinging to his 1987 "plan" to disarm every nuclear power on the planet other than the USA and Russia.

I wouldn't mind seeing that happen, but Trump is destined to screw it up... even if it was remotely practical.

[Archae]

41. Personally, I could care less what they call it.

I live in Wisconsin, "The Dairy State."

In fact it was illegal to sell margarine here until 1967. Honest!

If the makers of almond or soy milk want to call it milk, so what.

[DavidDvorkin]

45. I want a law that bans calling herbal crap "tea".

[FrodosNewPet]

46. Obligatory Lewis Black on Milk video

[retread]

47. It is obvious they never got up at 3am to milk an orchard of almonds!!

[Igel]

48. Meh. They just like to control language.

For their own fun and profit.

This particular act is corporatist, but the spirit is nearly universal.

[KittyWampus]

49. And the "Milk of Human Kindness" can also relabel itself.

Maybe the "Sap of Human Kindness" oozing out of the wounds on the Tree of Life Republicans and Trump are causing.

[OregonBlue]

55. These people are so stupid they should not be in the government. We have so many problems

and they are worried that idiots can't tell the difference between cows milk and coconut or almond milk? I tell you, it gets scarier every day. Idiocracy reigns supreme.

[juxtaposed]

56. if it does not come from teats it is not milk.

[flvegan]

57. 3rd time is a charm, dairy industry?

What, 1999, 2010 and 2016 now? As other posters have stated, what, nothing better to do with your congressional time, fellas? Fuckstick McClownshoes, The Twitter on the Shitter, is talking about a new "arms race" with his Mother Russia, and this is what you're doing. Got it. Let that whole Supreme Court Justice thing go largely ignored, but this is a priority.

Idiots.

[Initech]

59. Lewis Black: There's no soy milk because there's no soy tit.

[Rex]

60. Yeah that is what we should be worrying about! Calling soy 'milk'!

I swear, my tax leeching Congress critters just get dumber and fucking dumber as time goes on. We will no doubt end up with a ruined nation.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

62. Orange Slug is getting ready to bring hell to the World...

And we have Congressmen worrying over what is called 'milk'?

What.The. Hell.

[jmowreader]

66. Three guesses what they do in Simpson and Welch's districts

[HoneyBadger]

67. Why not just label regular whole milk as almond milk if labels do not matter

Clever prank