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Comment by coldtea | Hacker News Reader

>Please don't lie

Please don't accuse people you don't know and second guess their motives in a conversation with them.

>I've made cashew milk and oat milk at home and they're naturally colored as they are on store shelves

Which is neither here nor there. I didn't say all are colored white: I used the term "usually". Second, even naturally white "alternative milks" have artificial coloring added for when they hit the shelves for consistency etc (manufacturers that don't do that are glad to advertise it in the box).

Second, both are not milks. Milks are what comes out of animals mammary glands (even legally in most jurisdictions). Advertisers and "health product" peddlers hijacked the term (that existed for millennia) to mean "random juices".

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Funny enough, nobody complains about "peanut butter"!

"In English, the word "milk" (at the time spelt "mylk") has been used to refer to "milk-like plant juices" since at least 1200 AD." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_milk https://www.etymonline.com/word/milk#etymonline_v_16158

Second, both are not milks

Please don’t be this sort of pedant. It’s been common for a long time to refer to various substances with a similar appearance to milk as “milks” - see coconut, Magnesia etc.

More to the point, “mylke of almaundes” as a term was around in the 15th century, so at this point it’s hardly unreasonable that it’s entered common usage.

> Please don't accuse people you don't know and second guess their motives in a conversation with them.

As I commented below, a moment before your reply, I edited it out as I understand that it is unproductive.

> I didn't say all are colored white: I used the term "usually". Second, even naturally white "alternative milks" have artificial coloring added for when they hit the shelves for consistency etc (manufacturers that don't do that are glad to advertise it in the box).

See my other comment, reproduced below:

"I've shopped extensively for plant-based milks on three continents in countries that represent nearly half of the world's population. I can provably claim that they are not "usually" colored artificially in even a generous use of "usual." This has nothing to do with knowing the person who wrote the comment."

> Second, both are not milks. Milks are what comes out of animals mammary glands

Sure, but this is your opinion which you're welcome to hold.

> (even legally in most jurisdictions)

Source needed for "most". I can confirm that plant milks can be labeled as milk in the US, Canada, and India, and the notable exception that I am aware of is the European Union.

The word milk has a somewhat broader meaning than what comes out of mammary glands. I would say that the default meaning, with no other modifier, is definitely mammary gland output. But checking various dictionaries I see definitions that include:

The white juice of certain plants, such as coconut milk.

A food product produced from seeds or fruit that resembles and is used similarly to cow's milk, such as coconut or soy milk.

A liquid resembling milk in appearance such as the latex of a plant.

And there's milk of magnesia.

I don't know when these various terms came into use, but the Online Etymology Dictionary suggests milk of almond and similar constructions have been around since the late 14th century:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/milk%20of%20magnesia

> Second, even naturally white "alternative milks" have artificial coloring added

Could you give some examples of this? I'm not that familiar with the different brands, but I've tried quite a few, and at least in the US I don't think that any of them I've tried add artificial coloring, and I don't think I've noticed packaging touting this as an advantage. Maybe this is a regional difference?

Here's an example of what I think the ingredients usually look like: https://silk.com/products/original-soymilk (click on ingredients)

And here's a breakdown of the standard ingredients in almond milk that doesn't mention artificial coloring: https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/a-breakdown-of-every-s...

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