[lapser]

> you know exactly what it is

But you don't though, do you? "Vegan cheese" isn't cheese. Instead, it's a bunch of ingredients to make it feel and taste like cheese, but it's not cheese. Often it doesn't feel or taste like it, it barely comes close, and they can be worse for your health than cheese itself might be.

For milk alternatives, it's even worse. It's just a money printing machine. Much higher profit margins compared to milk for some lies and a vastly inferior taste and less nutrition.

Don't get me wrong, I've reduced my dairy intake considerably, so I'm all for dairy alternatives, but these companies are on the border of lying, and governments need to take action against them.

[ndsipa_pomu]

The use of "cheese" or "milk" is more about how you'd likely use the products than what they are made out of (with the exception of actual cheese and milk). I'd rather see "vegan cheese" on a product as that tells me what I want to know - it's vegan and it's intended as a cheese replacement (not that I'd pick vegan cheese over regular cheese, anyhow). Similarly with milk replacements - having "milk" on the label is a great indicator that it'll work in tea/coffee/cereal etc.

Edit: What I find disingenuous with UK food labels is the proliferation of "plant-based" on products that are typically plant-based anyway e.g. tortilla chips

[c00lio]

For "makes your coffee white" there is already the established product name "coffee whitener". What's wrong with using that one instead of mislabeling it as a dairy product?

[ChildOfChaos]

Because it's not simply a coffee Whitener, it can be used for other things, it's also not labeled as a dairy product, it's labeled as a plant based milk alternative, which is pretty clear.

[c00lio]

Well then, can I use it to make cheese? How is the fat content, can I skim it for cream, maybe make some butter? Can I make Sourmilk? Yoghurt? Can I at least foam it up for Cappucino?

For most of those things that aren't milk, the answer is "no". So they aren't milk alternatives, are they?

[ndsipa_pomu]

The answer to some of those questions would also be "no" for particular types of milk (e.g. skimmed milk).

Honestly, if someone told me that they got confused between dairy milk and plant-based milk, I'd laugh at them. It's not likely to be a recurrent problem either, as surely you'd realise when you came to use it.

[PavleMiha]

Here’s almond milk referenced in a recipe in 1410:

“For to make blomanger. Nym rys & lese hem & washe hem clene, & do þereto god almande mylke & seþ hem tyl þey al tobrest; & þan lat hem kele.”

People have used the word milk to refer to some plant products for too long for this to confuse people now.

[Double_a_92]

At least oat and almond milk are an old cultural thing in my country. Definitely not something made up by the "evil green" industry.

[HPsquared]

See also, coconut milk.

[ChildOfChaos]

Wow.

What exactly is the problem here? If I want to know what is in it or how it is made, I can read the label.

Seeing that it is a 'plant based cheese' I can know exactly what it is, in terms of how I would use it, sure I might not know what it is made of, but isn't that true for most things people buy unless they do research / read the label?

Calling it any other name, just makes it confusing, it's clear you don't like these products, which is fine, so long as they are labeled correctly such as 'almond milk' or 'plant based cheese' you can avoid them and get on with your life.

For others that want this product, this labeling is helpful, what is the issue, apart from being being anti-plant based products having a hissy fit?7

There is no lying going on with the products, it's helping customers decide. If I turn vegan and I want to use something to replace cheese, what would I be looking for? Plant based cheese, is easy and simple, why are we making this an issue? Products have been named this way for a significant time.

[Timwi]

Are you seriously going to claim that you know exactly what's in every cheese?