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Dairy Nutrition

Food, nutrition policy faces change

Amy DeLisio

Amy DeLisio is CEO of the Dairy Council of California. She is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in public health from the University of Southern California and earned her bachelor’s degree in dietetics at Youngstown State University. She contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

With the new administration and shake-ups at federal agencies, the U.S. food and nutrition policy landscape is changing fast, and questions remain about the opportunities and challenges ahead. The administration is establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission to address health broadly with an emphasis on food additives, ultra-processed foods and health freedom.

It is not a new strategy for the federal government to focus on food, nutrition and health and look for bold solutions to improve health outcomes. In 1969, President Nixon convened the historic White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health, which led to the expansion of major federal food and nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move initiative to combat childhood obesity, increase physical activity and encourage healthier eating habits. It included the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, setting new nutrition standards for school meals, and the MyPlate initiative based on the five food groups, including dairy. In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration engaged stakeholders and released the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to end hunger, improve nutrition, reduce related chronic diseases and address disparities in health outcomes by 2030.

These efforts have all had an impact on America’s health, although challenges remain, including persistent food insecurity and rising rates of chronic disease. Make America Healthy Again plans are focused on addressing root causes of America’s health crisis with an emphasis on childhood chronic disease. Though there are many unknowns, this approach may be a win for whole foods; emphasis is also being placed on food production techniques. Let’s explore how this may impact food and nutrition policies and dairy foods specifically.

• Dietary Guidelines facing crossroads

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and USDA work together to update and release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years. Since 1980, the Dietary Guidelines have advised Americans on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health and prevent disease.

As a part of the process, the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee conducted an extensive review of current science to develop recommendations for the next set of dietary guidelines in a scientific report released under the previous administration. The report reflected important conclusions:

• Diet quality and nutrient shortfalls: Underconsumption of specific food groups affects nutrient intake and status throughout life. Vitamin D, calcium, potassium and fiber continue to be nutrients of public health concern. Increasing dairy intake can support Americans with three out of the four nutrients of concern.

• Dietary patterns: The advisory committee proposed the Eat Healthy Your Way Dietary Pattern, a single, inclusive, flexible dietary pattern. The proposed pattern promotes consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), whole grains, nuts, fish/seafood and lowfat or fat-free dairy. It recommends decreasing intake of red and processed meats within the protein food group.

• Dairy recommendations: Recommendations continue to support the intake of three servings of lowfat and fat-free dairy per day. Adding other plant-based alternatives to the dairy food group, beyond fortified soy, is not recommended since alternatives may introduce unintended consequences for meeting nutrient needs due to variability across products.

Agriculture, public health and food industry stakeholders alike are waiting to see how, when and if recommendations from the advisory committee will be implemented.

• California addresses ultra-processed foods

California has been a leader in school nutrition policy. In 2022, it became the first state in the nation to offer Universal School Meals, which offers free meals to all schoolchildren regardless of income. Under Gov. Newsom, the state has also maintained a long-standing ban on soft drinks in K-12 schools, imposed caffeine restrictions at all grade levels while federal standards allow caffeine in high schools and proposed a sugar limit on alternative milk beverages, expected to take effect in 2025 and not currently regulated federally. In September 2024, AB 2316 was signed into law, making California the first state to ban Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 food additives in school meals.

In January 2025, Gov. Newsom issued an executive order to further investigate the health impacts of synthetic food dyes and expand access to affordable, nutritious foods. The order also directs state agencies to propose actions to reduce the harm of ultra-processed foods and risky food ingredients. Additionally, agencies were tasked with identifying opportunities for California to implement higher standards for healthy school meals than those set at the national level.

As a result of the growing interest in ultra-processed foods, Dairy Council of California and others are advocating for scientific consensus on a definition and longer-term research on these foods and associated health impacts. Not all processed foods are created equal, and processing techniques have been used for a variety of important reasons, including convenience, affordability, longer shelf life, ease of preparation, food safety and even optimizing nutrient content. In the dairy industry, processing is essential for pasteurizing raw milk to ensure safety, maintain quality and produce nutritious products like yogurt, kefir and cheese. In addition, many food companies are innovating product formulas to reduce sodium, sugar or saturated fat, as well as include certain nutrients and/or food groups to encourage consumption and meet consumer demands.

Reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods is one approach to addressing the rising rates of chronic disease, but if not done with proper science-based efficacy, it may not improve diet quality and may ultimately reduce intakes of key nutrients, further reducing overall diet quality. Additionally, recommendations that are solely based on processing levels rather than nutrient density could negatively affect federal nutrition assistance programs, widening the gap in nutrition security for low-resourced communities and vulnerable populations.

• Advocating for milk, cheese, dairy foods is increasingly important

Full-fat dairy foods continue to grow in popularity, not only with consumers but also with policymakers.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act was recently re-introduced in the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate with bipartisan support, potentially expanding the milk fat varieties available for students in federal school meal programs. With these new opportunities, it is important for the dairy community to keep the momentum going and work together to advance milk and dairy’s role as part of healthy, sustainable eating patterns.

Dairy foods have a positive nutrition story to tell. Research continues to showcase dairy foods’ myriad benefits, offering a unique package of essential nutrients that provide multiple health benefits, including optimal growth and development in children and reduced risk of developing chronic diseases for adults. Whole milk dairy foods, which contain saturated and other fat types, show positive impacts on chronic disease risk.

For example, dietary patterns higher in fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish and whole milk dairy have been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Cheese and yogurt, specifically, are not associated with adverse effects on cardiometabolic health regardless of saturated fat and sodium content.

Fermented dairy foods such as yogurt and certain cheeses contain probiotics that are gaining attention for their positive impact on health. Eating fermented foods that include probiotics may also improve gut health, which research shows may help improve immunity and reduce inflammation.

As food and nutrition policies evolve, the cheese and dairy industry must stay engaged to ensure science-based solutions are the basis for policy and that processing alone does not determine the nutritional benefits a food offers. Industry leaders can also review additives of concern and consider reformulation to voluntarily address policymaker and consumer concerns. After all, we all want a healthier, more vibrant country where everyone can thrive.

CMN

The views expressed by CMN’s guest columnists are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Cheese Market News®.

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