Dairy Groups Urge EU to Stop the Use of Dairy Terms in Plant-Based Products

Three European dairy groups, European Dairy Association (EDA), Eucolait, and Copa-Cogeca  are urging the EU to block companies producing plant-based dairy alternatives from using words associated with dairy products such as ‘milk’ and ‘butter’ in their marketing.  The three groups were asking the EU to protect dairy products from “misleading sales descriptions” in legislation and the European Common Agricultural Policy, reported just-food on 27 April.

EDA secretary general Alexander Anton said that it was misleading to market products as, for example, soya milk or tofu butter when they were “absolutely different” from dairy products with differeng nutritional characteristics, including macro- and micronutrients.  The three bodies were calling for the EU to protect dairy terms and marketing standards in its legislation and to ensure that they were respected throughout the supply chain.