Virginia lawmaker seeks to limit the definition of ‘milk’

A Virginia lawmaker wants to narrow the definition of milk as something that comes only from a “healthy hooved animal.”

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,” The Virginian Pilot reported.

Knight said he’s trying to protect the state’s dairy farmers and that his legislation is similar to what has passed in other states. Opponents of the legislation said 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.