• trevor@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1 year ago

    The term “milk” is an old chemistry term referring to a “heterogeneous mixture of insoluble compounds”. “Colloid” is the modern term. Think “milk of magnesia”, which is used as an antacid. It is called a milk because the Mg(OH)2 doesn’t dissolve and just forms a suspension. Almond milk is a suspension of ground up almond particles. Cow milk is a suspension of fat particles that won’t dissolve. This is why milk is homogenized: because it wants to form a floating fat layer and water layer. That’s unappealing so they fake making it look the same throughout. It is not a homogeneous solution. So anything you can mix up in water that doesn’t dissolve and it stays suspended is “milk”.

    • reallyNaughty@lemmynsfw.com
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      1 year ago

      I mean, it’s two definitions for the same word. And it looks like mammary secretions is the older version, I think. Additionally, personally that is what I think of when I think of milk. I think of almond milk as an emulsion of almonds that approximates milk and I think most people agree with me.

      That said, I am not going to confuse almond milk for milk unless they just straight up call it milk.

      Bare minimum research: https://www.etymonline.com/word/milk

    • hakase@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      So anything you can mix up in water that doesn’t dissolve and it stays suspended is “milk”.

      Not to consumers, which is ultimately the only thing that should matter when making decisions on how food should and should not be labeled.