Is the dairy industry afraid of competition?
The dairy industry appears so petrified of the growing plant-based milk sector that they petitioned Congressional members to submit a letter to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) demanding that “milk” be defined solely as the mammary secretions from a cow (sorry, sheep and goats).
Remember how this ended for behometh Unilever, when it sued start-up Hampton Creek over the smaller company’s eggless mayo? (Hint: It eventually ends with Unilever launching their own vegan mayo!).
According to their letter, legislators are concerned “manufacturers of plant-based products is misleading to consumers, harmful to the dairy industry, and a violation of milk’s standard of identity.”
Consumers possess the cognitive ability to discern that “soy milk” does not come from the “lacteal secretion” of a cow. We trust that shoppers not only understand the difference between milk from a cow and milk from an almond but are also capable of making informed food choices. The dairy industry seems to lack this faith.
Plant-based milk alternatives are a growing industry because they appeal to a market of health-conscious, environmentally friendly, and animal loving consumers who want to do better by this planet. Perhaps, like Unilever, dairy co-operatives will start replacing herds of over-worked cows with groves of almonds, fields of soy or wheat.
Next time you swing by the supermarket, make sure to pick up some delicious plant-based milk…be it from soy, almond, coconut, hemp, flaxseed, walnut, or oat. Help change the world, one meal at a time!
