The Nationals are calling for a major overhaul food labelling rules, that would stop plant-based milk and meat companies from using the terms "milk" and "meat" and "seafood" to market their products.

A meeting of the party's federal council in Canberra on Saturday voted to pressure the Morrison government to crack down on labelling requirements.

Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie, who is also the deputy leader of the Nationals, said there was an increasing awareness of the need to "call things for what they are".

"I'm not anti plant-based protein foods, I think they're going to have a role to play in the food proposition going forward. But that means then we need to be very clear with consumers about what they're purchasing," Senator McKenzie said.

"So if you want actual chicken, then that's what it should be called. If you want plant-based protein that tastes like chicken, then that's what it should called."

West Australian Nationals leader Mia Davies likened the debate around milk to rules that mean only champagne produced in the Champagne region of France can use the label.

"We need to to protect what it is, and be very clear about the provenance of food," she said. "It's a unique product and it should be recognised for that."

Senator McKenzie said she planned to attend the next meeting of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation to press her case. Last year, she requested Food Standards Australia New Zealand develop an options paper on how food standards can be better considered when it comes food labelling and naming.

Soy milk, which has been available for decades, has more recently been joined by a host of other plant-based milks, including almond, cashew, rice and oat.

According to a report last month from IBISWorld, there has been a "skyrocketing demand" for non-dairy milk products over the past five years, driven in part by rising veganism and health consciousness. Plant-based milks currently account for seven per cent of all milk consumed in Australia. On a per capita basis, consumption is tipped to grow by an average of 17 per cent a year for the next five years, while dairy milk consumption will decline by about 0.6 per cent a year.

IBISWorld said demand for hemp milk is projected to grow "substantially" over the next five years, while pea protein milk is also "gaining traction among consumers".

A recent report by Deloitte Access Economics found that the Australian plant-based meat sector is worth $150 million in retail sales and could grow to almost $3 billion by 2030.

Australian Dairy Farmers chief executive David Inall said plant-based milk alternatives were gaining a marketing advantage by "using the name 'milk' and co-opting the look and feel of dairy, while claiming to have nutritional equivalency with dairy milk."

Mr Inall said his industry was urging the federal government to change the food standards, so "consumers trying to make a healthy choice at the supermarket have the benefit of transparent and accurate product labelling".

European law already bans plant-based products from using words like "cheese, "cream" and "milk" on its labels. The United States Food and Drug Administration has also considered the issue.

Linda Monique is the founder and chief executive of Australian almond milk company, Almo Milk. She noted that many Australians were lactose intolerant and would continue to seek out plant-based milks regardless of how they were labelled.

"It's almost discrediting Australians as being stupid and not being aware of the differences between dairy milk and almond milk," Ms Monique said.

"People understand that almond milk does not come from a cow that's been fed almonds."

Food Frontier, a plant-based food think tank, argues plant-based meats are more environmentally sustainable. Food Frontier says animal meat is made up of amino acids, fats, trace minerals and water and "the exact same nutrients" are found in plants.

On Saturday, the National Party also unanimously backed a royal commission into the market power of Australia's three big supermarket chains, Woolworths, Coles and Aldi. NSW MP Kevin Hogan explained Nationals constituents were the major suppliers to the supermarkets as producers and growers.