IDFA to DGAC: Limiting Full-Fat Dairy Is No Longer Science-Based

Today, I provided oral comments to the third meeting of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC)—a panel of 20 nutrition and public health experts tasked with providing a scientific report to inform the federal government’s next update to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).
 
The DGAC’s scientific report is critical to establishing what science informs the final 2025-2030 DGA report expected to be issued at the end of 2025. And, as you know, the final DGA report influences our nation’s federal nutrition policy and education programs – from what milk options are served in school meals, to the types of dairy products included in the WIC food package and incentivized in the SNAP program.

The good news is that an overwhelming body of scientific evidence demonstrates that dairy should be part of healthy eating patterns for all Americans, at all life stages and with various dietary needs. The DGA have long recognized the inherent benefits of dairy products, including milk, yogurt and cheese, as important sources of nutrients and associated with better health outcomes. In fact, the current 2020-2025 DGA report encourages most Americans to consume three servings of dairy per day, and it maintains dairy as a separate, distinct food group in recognition of its unrivaled health and nutrition benefits to people of all ages. The report holds that a diet including low-fat and fat-free dairy is part of the ideal, healthy dietary pattern along with whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
 
As the federal government develops the 2025-2030, IDFA is working to ensure dairy maintains its essential role in dietary recommendations and in the healthy diets of Americans. However, there’s more work to be done. IDFA is also advocating for the Committee to recognize the robust and evolving science supporting inclusion of full-fat dairy products in dietary recommendations. This science demonstrates that consumption of dairy products, including full-fat products, has neutral to positive impacts on cardiovascular health, contradicting recommendations by previous DGA reports that do not encourage consumption of fuller fat dairy products. Based on the growing scientific evidence, it is clear that deterring intake due to fat level is not science-based, nor is it in the best interest of public health.

Today’s meeting also provided an opportunity to highlight the wide availability and affordability of nutrient-rich dairy products for all communities and age groups, including a wide variety of lactose-free and low in lactose options for people who want solutions to address lactose intolerance and lactose sensitivity without losing access to equitable nutrition. We hope to see the DGAC and final DGA report continue to recommend lactose-free and low in lactose options for those who need them—but we also need the federal government to support wider availability and accessibility to these options with increased funding and education.

Today was IDFA’s first opportunity to give oral testimony to the DGAC.To read our full submission to the DGAC meeting today, visit here. IDFA also submitted comments in June on the scientific questions posed to the DGAC, and we plan to continue to engage the DGAC and promote the latest science in support of dairy as the Commitee develops it’s scientific report over the course of the next year and a half.  
 
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me (rwagner@idfa.org) or Michelle Matto (mmatto@idfa.org) with any questions about IDFA’s DGA advocacy work.