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Now is the time to protect cheese from the ‘ultra-processed’ label

Michael Dykes

Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, contributes this column bimonthly for Cheese Market News®.

Policymakers and public health leaders across the United States are increasingly focused on regulating ultra-processed foods (UPFs), a term that remains undefined in U.S. policy and nutrition science. President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission recently linked ultra-processed food consumption among children with increased risk of obesity and chronic disease. California’s proposed Assembly Bill 1264 seeks to define UPFs based solely on the additives they contain and reduce UPF consumption by children. In Texas, Gov. Abbott recently signed Senate Bill 25, creating an advisory committee to study and educate the public about UPFs.

While these policies aim to improve public health outcomes, they risk sweeping in nutritious dairy foods like cheese, yogurt and flavored milk, due to broad and imprecise definitions that fail to emphasize nutrient density or reflect current nutritional science. Without timely engagement by the dairy industry, these policies could mislabel and unfairly stigmatize dairy foods that play a vital role in the American diet.

Cheese exemplifies simplicity. Crafted from just four fundamental ingredients — milk, salt, cultures, and enzymes — cheese delivers a full suite of essential nutrients, including 27% of the calcium, 13% of the phosphorus, 11% of the vitamin A and 8% of the protein consumed in the American diet. These aren’t marginal nutrient contributions — they’re foundational for bone health, immunity, muscle function and overall wellbeing. Moreover, recent scientific research continues to underscore the benefits of dairy fats, particularly in fermented products like cheese, which have shown no harm and potentially even cardiovascular and metabolic benefits.

Despite cheese’s evident nutritional benefits and minimal processing, however, it fares poorly under leading UPF classification systems. Cheese is considered “processed” under widely cited frameworks like NOVA, IFPRI, IFIC, UNC and Siga. Even more concerning, cheese is classified as “ultra-processed” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), raising the stakes for potential negative policy implications. Other nutritious dairy products like flavored milk and yogurt are similarly situated in the “ultra processed” column under these frameworks.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) strongly advocates for science and evidence-based policies that clarify rather than confuse nutritional information for consumers. At this time, there simply isn’t enough science to support one ultra-processed classification system or definition of UPFs over another. And importantly, the December 2024 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) report indicated insufficient evidence to recommend limiting UPFs in federal dietary guidelines, underscoring the importance of evidence-based policymaking.

Yet policymakers from both sides of the aisle, here in the United States and abroad, are working to establish their own UPF definitions and policies shaped around those definitions. It’s critical that our industry actively engage these policymakers and stakeholders to accurately represent cheese’s and dairy’s nutritional profiles and correct misconceptions that would lead to our products being labeled “ultra-processed.”

In our discussions with policymakers, IDFA emphasizes prioritizing nutrient density and proven health benefits over simplistic categorizations based solely on processing methods, formulations that include nutrients to limit (added sugars, salt and saturated fat), or minor food and color additive use. Essential traditional steps in cheesemaking — such as salting, culturing and enzyme addition — enhance nutritional quality, safety and flavor rather than diminish them. Additionally, functional ingredients deemed safe by the FDA and commonly used in dairy products at very low levels, such as enzymes for lactose removal or stabilizers derived from natural sources for texture, are safe, beneficial and should not trigger negative labels like “ultra-processed.”

Moving forward, clear nutritional education and labeling should highlight cheese’s positive nutritional contributions — high-quality protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins and beneficial fats — rather than focusing unnecessarily on benign processing steps. This approach will help ensure consumers receive accurate and helpful information, encouraging informed and healthier dietary choices. Cheese’s versatility further underscores its nutritional value, benefiting millions daily by easily and affordably integrating into a wide range of meals and snacks. This adaptability supports both public health goals and the economic vitality of cheese producers, who continually innovate to deliver nutritious, accessible and appealing options.

As policymakers continue deliberations around UPFs, IDFA remains committed to vigorous advocacy for the cheese industry and our broader dairy industry. Cheesemakers deserve science-based food policies that acknowledge our product’s vital nutritional role. By consistently emphasizing nutrient density and evidence-based nutrition, we can effectively protect cheese from unfair misclassification and ensure it continues nourishing Americans without stigma or confusion.

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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