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For over a decade the dairy industry, threatened by the plant-based milk market, has fought to define the term “milk” to exclude anything plant-derived. From petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to encouraging members of Congress to propose the Dairy Pride Act, a bill that would have banned plant-based brands from using the term “milk,” the dairy industry has fought labels on plant-based milk packages.
Now, a federal court has dismissed a class action lawsuit against Blue Diamond Growers that claimed labeling Blue Diamond almond milk as “milk” was misleading and the product should be labeled “imitation milk.”
VegNews explains:
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently dismissed a class action lawsuit against California-based Blue Diamond Growers, the producer of Blue Diamond almond milk, ruling that its “milk” label does not violate federal law.
Dairy consumption has been on the decline for decades, with each generation consuming less milk than the one before. Last March, a survey from agribusiness giant Cargill revealed that half of U.S. dairy consumers also use vegan dairy alternatives.
As a result, dairy companies worldwide are watching their profits drop. Just last year, America’s largest dairy company, Dean Foods, made headlines after it closed an Illinois facility, citing a decline in consumption.
The company best known for manufacturing, marketing, and distributing dairy products DairyPure and TruMoo predicts more closures as consumers ditch dairy in favor of plant-based options. In fact, Dean Foods issued a notice to dozens of dairy suppliers that it would not renew their contracts after May 31, 2018, because lack of consumer demand had led to overproduction of dairy milk. Most recently, the company announced plans to shift focus to its plant-based brands, particularly the vegan flax-based milk and yogurt label Good Karma Foods.
And don’t forget Elmhurst Dairy in Queens, New York, which closed its doors after 90 years in business and switched to making plant-based milk!
This is all great news for cows, who are treated as mere milk-producing machines at factory farms, forcibly impregnated, and kept in terrible conditions.
Fortunately, with all the amazing plant-based products available at stores far and wide, there’s never been a better time to dump dairy and other animal products. To learn more about switching to a plant-based diet, order a FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide today.