Dairy farmers are calling for a tightening of food labelling around the use of the word milk as alternatives like almond, rice and soy milk abound.
A new online petition being run by farmer lobby group Dairy Connect to tighten the definition and use of the word milk in labelling in Australia, according to an ABC Rural report.
Other countries are moving in this direction, according to the report, with a recent European Court of Justice ruling stating "purely plant-based products cannot, in principle, be marketed with designations such as milk, cream, butter, cheese or yoghurt".
Similar moves are under way in the US, and laws already exist in Canada.
Although dairy exports are on the rise, dairy farmers say they are are doing it tougher than ever, as milk products are not receiving the recognition that they deserve, with consumers willing to pay more for alternatives than for milk.
