The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking public comments on how consumers use plant-based beverages, as well as how they understand terms like “milk” or “cheese” when the terms are used to label products made from soy, peas or nuts. In response to requests from industry, including IDFA, FDA agreed to extend the deadline for these comments from Nov. 27 to Jan. 25.

IDFA had requested a 120-day extension to allow time to consider the results of two relevant surveys that were released last month.

“We’re pleased that FDA has provided an additional 60 days to receive comments on the use of dairy names for plant-based products,” said Cary Frye, IDFA senior vice president of regulatory affairs. “IDFA will use the additional time to undertake a thorough review of existing literature and recent consumer research that relates directly to questions posed by FDA. We specifically want to review the methodologies and conclusions of the new surveys by the International Food Information Council Foundation and Dairy Management, Inc. in order to formulate our comments.”

The survey released by the International Food Information Council (IFIC)Foundation, reports that the majority of Americans surveyed understand that plant-based beverages labeled as “milk” do not contain dairy milk. The IFIC survey included 1,000 adults and found that less than 10 percent believe that soy, almond, coconut, rice and cashew beverages contain dairy milk.

The survey commissioned by Dairy Management Inc., reports that a majority of American adults surveyed believe that products labeled “milk,” whether dairy milk or plant-based beverages, have the same nutritional content. IPSOS Group, a market research company that conducted the study, surveyed more than 2,000 adults and found that 73 percent of consumers incorrectly viewed almond-based beverages labeled “milk” as having equal or more protein than dairy milk.

“We expect other organizations to conduct similar consumer surveys in order to produce data aimed at influencing FDA’s actions,” IDFA said in its letter to FDA.

IDFA is working with its regulatory committees to assess the survey findings and review available published research to submit in its comments to FDA’s request for information.

For more information, contact Cary Frye, IDFA senior vice president of regulatory affairs, at cfrye@idfa.org.