Milk Producers Say Soy Got No Milk

February 15, 2000

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has asked the Food and Drug Administration that soybean beverage makers be forced to stop using the term "milk" to describe products, because federal regulations "clearly" limit the use of the term to milk coming from cows.

"Soy-based beverages are attempting to directly compete with dairy products and are inappropriately taking advantage of the familiarity and positive image of dairy terminology in their labeling," said Rob Byrne, NMPF vice president of regulatory affairs, in the petition to FDA. "The soybean beverage makers don. t got milk, never had, never will and shouldn. t be allowed to claim otherwise."

A spokesman for the American Soybean Association (ASA) said it was not aware of any consumer confusion "about the differences between cows. milk and soy milk. There are consumers who buy soy milk because they. re lactose intolerant; that. s a big part of the market for soy milk. We don. t understand why the milk producers are concerned about that."

Soybean producers want to "listen to their concerns," the spokesman said. Dairy farmers are soybean producers. customers for cattle feed ingredients, and ASA will look into the NMPF concerns and see what else is involved," he added.

Byrne agreed that dairy and soybean producers have something in common in that dairy farmers use soybeans for cattle feed, "but beverages made from beans are not milk, and the FDA needs to make that point very clear in restricting how the terminology is used."

Having been sold in specialty supermarkets and health food stores, soy milk now is being sold in major supermarket chains nationwide and positioned alongside milk "in a clear attempt to compete with dairy products," says Byrne. And, he added, soy beverages are nutritionally "inferior" to cows. milk, often containing half the protein per serving compared to milk.