Australian Dairy Farmers Argue Plant-Based Drinks Shouldn’t Be Called “Milk”

Australian dairy farmers are calling for tighter labelling laws that would prevent plant-based beverages from using the term “milk”, leveraging a recent UK Supreme Court ruling against a major oat-drink brand as a precedent. Dairy industry leaders say non-dairy beverages such as almond, oat and soy drinks mislead consumers and erode the traditional dairy market by co-opting dairy terminology.

The debate reignited after the UK’s highest court ruled that a plant-based drinks company could no longer use the word “milk” in its branding and marketing, concluding that “milk” under trademark law should refer only to animal-derived products. Australian dairy advocates, including the South Australian Dairyfarmers’ Association, welcomed the ruling and urged the federal government to strengthen local labelling frameworks to restrict dairy-specific terms exclusively to products from animals.

SA Dairyfarmers President Robert Brokenshire argued that terms like “almond milk,” “soy milk” and “lab milk” appropriate dairy language and could disadvantage traditional dairy producers by blurring distinctions in consumer perception and retail positioning. “If people want to buy plant-based … that’s okay — but using milk as a term misrepresents the industry,” he said, emphasising that clearer labelling is essential for fair market competition.

In response, the Australian government is developing an industry code of practice led by the Alternative Proteins Council, backed by a $1.5 million investment from the 2024–25 budget, to provide clearer labelling guidance for plant-based and alternative protein products. This voluntary code aims to discourage the use of animal imagery and restrict meat/dairy-specific terminology without mandating absolute bans. Federal policymakers argue that most consumers already distinguish between dairy and plant-based products, and confusion is more often tied to packaging imagery than wording alone.

The debate highlights a tension between traditional dairy producers defending historic nomenclature and regulators balancing consumer clarity with a growing alternative-protein market that is already well-established and popular among specific consumer segments.

Source : Dairynews7x7 March 3rd 2026 Read full story here

#DairyLabelling #PlantBasedMilk #AustralianDairy

Title image credit-Landline: Angus Mackintosh