The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released draft guidelines on how companies should identify plant-based products that are marketed and sold as dairy alternatives. These guidelines will not be legally binding but will represent the FDA's current views on the subject of naming and nutrient labeling of plant-based milk.

The FDA advises that plant-based milk products using "milk" in their names, such as "soy milk" or "almond milk," and with a nutrient composition that differs from cow milk, should feature a voluntary nutrient statement comparing the product with milk based on the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) fluid milk substitutes nutrient criteria, as this will allow consumers to make informed dietary decisions. The guidance is expected to be finalized soon.

Analyst QuickTake: The debate over plant-based labeling has been ongoing for several years, with attempts to prevent plant-based products from being labeled as “milk.” The FDA has been actively investigating whether consumers are truly confused by using the term “milk” for plant-based options. In 2018, the FDA solicited public comments to better understand how consumers use plant-based dairy products and comprehend the term “milk” when used in the names of products made from soy, peas, and nuts. The agency received more than 13,000 comments and concluded that consumers generally understand that plant-based milk does not contain dairy and choose these alternatives because they are not dairy. However, critics argue that the recommendations unfairly burden plant-based milk producers, as the FDA does not require dairy milk producers to disclose nutritional differences between their products and that the new guidance assumes that cow's milk is the superior standard and that human milk should be the reasonable standard instead.