Community: Forum: Vegetarian Discussion
Vegan / Vegetarian Discussion - All Things Veg*n Forum
firstly, let's talk about real milk, and what that really is.
I read a blog or post somewhere a while back in which the writer pointed out that he/she would use terms such as 'cows milk' 'goats milk' 'soy milk' 'almond milk', whatever it may be, to distinguish the types, and also to avoid the use of the term 'real milk', and to deter others' use of it. I also find it a little condescending when people say 'real milk' or refer to tofu as 'fake meat' or even prefixing the word 'faux' to vegan leather or other similar products.
The vegan options shouldn't be thought of as a secondary, or lesser choice, as they often are. But I want to understand something here; the definition of milk:
milk
noun
1.
an opaque white fluid rich in fat and protein, secreted by female mammals for the nourishment of their young.
That is what google says, so is it really correct to call the soy and other versions milk?? Or does the definition needs to be re-evaluated. Perhaps it's just the way these products are best marketed, simply because they are close to the 'real' thing, or attempting to mimic it, so why not use the same name??
Anyway, about the other thing... bacon pancakes, or as I (don't)like to think of them... forcefully extracted animal fluids mixed with undeveloped animal foetuses poured over tortured and maimed animal corpses...
knowing some of things I know now, the bacon pancake compared to a vegan is like Pluto compared to the Sun, and that's about as close as I want to get to it.
I read a blog or post somewhere a while back in which the writer pointed out that he/she would use terms such as 'cows milk' 'goats milk' 'soy milk' 'almond milk', whatever it may be, to distinguish the types, and also to avoid the use of the term 'real milk', and to deter others' use of it. I also find it a little condescending when people say 'real milk' or refer to tofu as 'fake meat' or even prefixing the word 'faux' to vegan leather or other similar products.
The vegan options shouldn't be thought of as a secondary, or lesser choice, as they often are. But I want to understand something here; the definition of milk:
milk
noun
1.
an opaque white fluid rich in fat and protein, secreted by female mammals for the nourishment of their young.
That is what google says, so is it really correct to call the soy and other versions milk?? Or does the definition needs to be re-evaluated. Perhaps it's just the way these products are best marketed, simply because they are close to the 'real' thing, or attempting to mimic it, so why not use the same name??
Anyway, about the other thing... bacon pancakes, or as I (don't)like to think of them... forcefully extracted animal fluids mixed with undeveloped animal foetuses poured over tortured and maimed animal corpses...
knowing some of things I know now, the bacon pancake compared to a vegan is like Pluto compared to the Sun, and that's about as close as I want to get to it.
Responses (5)
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Posted by The Hammer at 06/02/14 23:05:16
@ Robinwomb.
Not in Holland! Thanks to the hard work of the dairy industry soy milk producers cannot label their product "soy milk" anymore but have to call it "soy drink".
The dairy industry now owns the word (and the definition!) of MILK. Crazy, right?
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Posted by Robinwomb at 05/28/14 13:40:31
Milk is not a word defined exclusively as a substance produced by cows, goats, humans, and other animals. Plants such as almonds and coconuts produce "milk" naturally also. The Oxford dictionary, in addition to using the definition that Google uses, also defines milk as "the white juice of certain plants". Soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc are just as legitimate as dairy milk.
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Posted by ahimsa32fa at 05/29/14 06:01:11
Robinwood-
You are correct about the Dictionary definition.
However, the dairy industry is very powerful and has influenced the FDA to restrict the use of the term...to mean only milk from animals.
I have little doubt that the Google definition was approved by the Dairy Council.
Just a note;
Be wary of some non-dairy milk products. Silk is not a good product...a search will reveal this.
Also many soy products announce "Lactose free!" but have casein (cow's milk protein) as a "binder". As I mention in my first book, many believe that it's the casein that is the worst thing about cow's milk when it comes to human health.
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Posted by happycowgirl at 05/31/14 15:33:40
hi Melodymixa,
I couldn't agree with you more. On a similar note, I cringe when people say "I gave up dairy" or "I'm giving up cheese". The correct phrasing should be "I stopped eating dairy" or "I eliminated cheese from my diet." To say we are "giving it up" implies that it was something worth having in the first place.
