IS MILK ALWAYS MILK? Is the term "milk" now generic by nature?
The manufacturer's of "soy milk" insist that it has been so general in use as to be considered generic and no merits protection in the market place. For many years it has been used as a term to designate the fluid portion of various plants - coconut milk, for instance, even Milk of Magnesia, a medication, and we use the term relative to milkweed in botany.
It has been used regarding soybeans from ancient times in the Orient and from as early as 1650 in European writings. It is odd the use of the word has never been contended long before now. Milk producers insist that milk can only result from the process of lactation and that such a process does not occur in the soy bean. In recent years it has become common for those who stock grocery store shelves to place the soy milk products in the Dairy case with other 'Milk" products. That's where customers expect to find them. And, that where the soy bean producers find their products compete with the merits of milk as it is commonly processed now in cut-down versions. Soy "milk"is not equal to real 100% milk but it does equal and even surpass some of the 2% and Fat Free versions of milk which are the main sellers today in dairy display areas.
Legislation is underway to permit the sale of soy milk as "milk" but the bills are being opposed by Dairy lobby workers and there is only a slight possibility of change - or clarification of the situation.
Since so much emphasis has been placed on weight control in recent years many people no longer drink whole milk and those who do use milk at all, resort to those in which the fat has been removed, so the loss of calcium and other nutrients in the diet is not that noticeable if soy is used instead.
The time has come for the Dairy Council and others to reconsider their manner of marketing and to get in touch with the times. Choices of family foods and drinks depend on many other factors today than they did twenty years ago. They dairy people over did the cut-down versions year ago, perhaps, in an effort to hold on to those people who went wild on weight loss. Some dairy people felt that , if the nutritional values were lowered, the customers would end up drinking twice as much of the lower-fat food just to feel full. That worked for a time, but people now think nutrition rather than quantities and the whole manner of eating has changed. There is nothing wrong with the lowered fat versions, but to place sales emphasis on them was costly.
Few people realize today that the DuPont Company, makers of Nylon and Lycra, also make and market a "cut down" version of Lycra under the trade name of "Korspan." It is, at this time, Lucra's "low-priced partner" in the DuPont product line - kept competitive with foreign pricing. It will last as long as Lycra production is up and world need exceeds world production. Much depends on demand, you see. Wise companies have long engaged in what is called "OEM" ("other equipment manufacturers") work projects which others do for them to meet a special need from time to time and the smart firms knew the maxim used by card playing gamblers who insist one "has to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em."
Dairy products promoters are learning the slow, hard way. Methods of promotion and of processing of foods must also vary with demand. The soy people are right with it, it would appear.
A.L.M. June 28, 2005 [c632wds]
