The Dictionary and the Constitution

“If a consumer is confused about the source of a product labeled ‘almond milk,’ then he has bigger problems than being confused about which milk to buy,” said Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Justin Pearson, who authored IJ’s comment to the FDA. “The government does not have the power to change the dictionary.”

We wholeheartedly agree and proffer the following “milk” definition from Merriam-Webster:

1. a: a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young
   b . (1): milk from an animal and especially a cow used as food by people
         (2): a food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow’s milk coconut milk soy milk
2. a liquid resembling milk in appearance: such as
   a: the latex of a plant
   b: the contents of an unripe kernel of grain
3. Lactation in cows in milk

The FDA action is not born out of the desire to help confused consumers, but out the demand from Dairy to support a declining segment as the result of consumer choice. Redefining a word that has been used for the almost a millennia will not change this fact.

Read the full article HERE.