LYNDEN, Wash. – In a decision that might put Whatcom dairy farmers in a sour mood, the FDA has decided that producers of soy, almond, oat and similar drinks can continue calling them “milk.”

The dairy industry has been calling on the agency to prohibit plant-based products from being labeled as milk.

But its new guidance says focus group studies found that consumers do not confuse them with dairy milk, and that “milk” is a “common and usual name.”

It does recommend that producers clearly label their products as Soy Milk or Almond Milk, and that they include packaging information that may show them lacking some nutrients found in cows’ milk.