No Cow Needed: Oat And Soy Can Be Called Milk, FDA Proposes

WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) – Draft U.S. rules would allow soy, oat, almond and other drinks 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 U.S. consumers aren’t confused by the difference.

Dairy producers have called for the FDA to crack down on the use of the term milk.

The rules released Wednesday also call for voluntary extra nutrition labels that note when the drinks have lower levels of nutrients than dairy milk.

In recent years, the number of plant-based drinks has exploded to include dozens of varieties, including cashew, coconut and hemp.