“We want to thank DMI CEO Barbara O’Brien for her leadership on this. We agree wholeheartedly with her that this IS a milestone moment for dairy farmers who make opportunities like this possible through their checkoff funds and the work they do every day on their dairy farms to produce high-quality, wholesome and nutritious milk and dairy products for consumers of all ages. We are glad to see the dairy checkoff expanding its scientific network with such a highly-regarded health source, and we are excited about some of the initiatives they have said they will be working on,” observes ADC CEO Laurie Fischer.
“This collaboration gives dairy farmers hope that the steadily growing body of evidence on healthy fats, immune-building nutrients and the unique nutritional package of real milk and dairy products – including whole milk and full-fat dairy — can be highlighted in consumer messaging going forward,” Fischer adds.
According to DMI’s recent news release, these initiatives will be led by teams comprised of National Dairy Council scientists and registered dieticians, Mayo Clinic physicians and health professionals as well as Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy experts focusing on areas that include: “Research to discover how dairy foods, particularly whole milk dairy, impacts cardiovascular health and metabolic conditions. Other potential research areas include dairy’s role on calm, sleep, digestive health and immunity.”
The collaboration announcement is also described by DMI as helping with the communication of evidence, research and insights across all Mayo Clinic locations.
“We hope this collaboration leads to consumers learning that not only is milk and dairy essential for calcium and strong bones but to also understand how unique dairy is in fulfilling their needs for many other nutrients of concern found lacking in diets in recent years — as well as the role of dairy fat in metabolic health and the value of high-quality nutrient-dense real dairy protein at a time when the very integrity of milk and dairy is under attack by alternative labels,” Fischer noted.
