Judge: Reasonable Consumer Knows
Products Contain No Milk
U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti in
California dismissed a lawsuit by ruling that that a reasonable consumer would
not be deceived into thinking that products labeled as "soymilk" and
"almond milk" contain dairy milk.
Conti said in the ruling, “Under
plaintiffs’ logic, a reasonable consumer might also believe that veggie bacon
contains pork, that flourless chocolate cake contains flour, or that e-books
are made out of paper.”
The ruling terminates a lawsuit filed in
California that seeks class action status and accuses manufacturers WhiteWave
Foods, Dean Foods, WWF Operating Co. and Horizon Organic Dairy of false
advertising. The judge said that because the words “soy” and “almond” precede
“milk” in the product names, it’s obvious to “even the least discerning of
consumers” that they’re not produced by dairy cows.
Since the FDA hasn’t adopted a uniform interpretation for
what such products should be called, Conti said he agreed with the
manufacturers that the terms “soymilk” and “almond milk” are accurate
descriptions.
Soy milk, a beverage made from soybeans, is a stable emulsion of oil, water,
and protein. It is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with
water. Soy milk contains about the same proportion of protein as cow's milk: around
3.5%; also 2% fat, 2.9% carbohydrate, and 5% ash. commonly used. The coagulated
protein from soy milk can be made into tofu, just as dairy milk can be made
into cheese.
Almond milk, a
beverage made from ground almonds, contains no animal products, cholesterol nor
lactose.
Sources: Western United Dairymen, 12/20/13
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Labels: Judge Samuel Conti and milk, Reasonable consumer knows products contain no milk, soy milk almond milk cow milk, Soymilk and Almond Milk not from cows