RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia lawmaker wants to narrow the definition of milk as something that comes only from a “healthy hooved animal."
The Virginian Pilot reports that Virginia Beach Republican Del. Barry Knight is pushing legislation that would ban makers of increasingly popular products like soy milk and almond milk from marketing their products as “milk.”
Knight says he's trying to protect the state's dairy farmers and his legislation is similar to what has passed in other states.
Opponents of the legislation say the legislation is unnecessary and hurts competition.
Knight's bill defines milk as the “lacteal secretion” from a list of animals that includes cows, water buffalo, sheep, goats, yaks, deer, reindeer, moose, horses and donkeys.