Soy, oat and almond drinks can still be called milk, US regulators say

Soy, oat, almond and other drinks that bill themselves as milk can keep using the term, according to draft federal rules released on Wednesday.

Dairy producers for years have called for the FDA to crack down on plant-based drinks and other products that they say masquerade as animal-based foods and cloud the real meaning of the term milk.

Under the draft rules, the agency recommends that beverage makers label their products clearly by the plant source of the food, such as soy milk or cashew milk.

The rules also call for voluntary extra nutrition labels that note when the drinks have lower levels of nutrients than dairy milk, such as calcium, magnesium or vitamin D.

The new guidelines are aimed at providing consumers with clear nutrition information, FDA commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement. The draft rules do not apply to nondairy products other than beverages, such as yogurt.

The Good Food Institute, a group that advocates for plant-based products, objected to the extra labeling.

In the past, lawmakers in dairy states have tried to pass legislation requiring the FDA to enforce a federal standard defining milk as a product from cows.