Protected designation 'milk'

Under the EU regulation on the common organisation of markets, the name milk is reserved for the milk of animals. Terms such as cream, butter, cheese and yoghurt are also protected. In 2017, the European Court of Justice confirmed in the TofuTown case that purely plant-based products may not use these names, not even with clarifying additions.

Plant-based alternatives are therefore called, for example, oat drink or soy drink. Exceptions apply to traditionally established names listed by the European Commission, in Germany for example coconut milk or peanut butter.