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World Milk Day Shines Light on Important Public Health Role of Dairy Foods

June 1, 2017

ARLINGTON, VA – As part of the commemoration June 1 of World Milk Day, the National Milk Producers Federation said the public health case for the consumption of milk and other dairy foods is stronger today than ever – a fact that is increasingly recognized by health experts and consumers in the United States and across the globe.

“Today’s celebration – which coincides with the start in the United States of national June Dairy Month – acknowledges the inimitable role that milk and other dairy foods play in our diets,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “The undeniable good news about dairy products starts with its unmatched value as a superfood – no other food source comes close to providing the same nutrition.”

Mulhern noted that each glass of milk represents the No. 1 source in children’s’ diets of nine essential nutrients: Calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin and niacin. Over the years, “this consistent nutritional package has earned dairy its unparalleled wholesome reputation – a healthy halo – that consumers recognize and trust. Meeting government nutrient recommendations is extremely difficult without including milk and dairy in your diet.”

He said that the federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee found that when foods from the milk family were not part of people’s eating habits, intakes of many key nutrients fell below federal recommendations. In fact, Mulhern said, “milk is the top food source for calcium, potassium and vitamin D, three of the four ‘nutrients of public health concern’ — nutrients that many Americans, including children, are most lacking in their diets,” according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“Since more than 90 percent of the U.S. population falls short of the recommended three daily servings of milk and milk products, including this fresh, simple and wholesome beverage at mealtimes can play an important role in healthy eating and well-being through adulthood,” he said.

When measured by the price per serving, milk is also one of the most cost-effective means to deliver a wide range of nutrition. Mulhern pointed to research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which found that dairy is among the most economical foods across a variety of metrics, and that milk was among the lowest-cost sources of protein, vitamin A, calcium, vitamin B-12 and riboflavin.  If families try to replace dairy in their diets, “they will likely have to spend more in order to maintain the same nutrient intake,” he said.

Promoting the irreplaceable nutritional value of milk has been part of NMPF’s focus for the past six months as it has urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strictly enforce food labeling regulations intended to distinguish between real and imitation dairy foods. FDA regulation says that anything labeled “milk” must be from an animal, but the agency has not enforced this rule “as plant-based food companies continue to co-opt dairy-specific terminology on their nutritionally inferior products,” Mulhern said. “Ignoring food product standards can mislead consumers into believing ‘fake food’ products offer the same nutrition as cow’s milk, which they definitely do not.”

In January, in support of NMPF’s efforts, a bipartisan group of senators and congressmen introduced the DAIRY PRIDE Act (DPA), which would require the FDA to take action to enforce food labeling regulations. NMPF, along with other dairy organizations, continues to build support in the House and Senate for the DPA.

“World Milk Day offers us a great opportunity to remind consumers here at home, and around the world, of the important benefits of real milk. It may have its imitators, but no other product can duplicate or replace the same unprocessed, natural goodness of the real thing,” Mulhern said.

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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more on NMPF’s activities, visit our website at www.nmpf.org.

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