Quite the contrary. People are working to reverse the federal government’s demonization of whole milk and educating so people can make informed choices.

The author of last week’s letter “Promote Whole Milk Without Demonizing Skim” notes 6.5% of sales are skim. Coincidentally, National Milk Producers Federation says school milk also equals 6 to 8% of sales.

The federal government prohibits whole and 2% milk at school, so those sales are skim by enforcement, not choice.

The federal milkfat police also mandate skim milk over 2 years of age at many child daycare centers and senior centers. That’s when people need milk’s nutrition the most.

The 97 Milk movement is educational, informing about whole milk. Why? Because the dairy farmers’ own checkoff does not want to go against federal guidelines. Even checkoff partner McDonald’s restricts a child’s Happy Meal to 1% (or apple juice or water) so it can match federal guidelines.

Any “demonizing” of skim milk is only in relation to children not having a choice. Research proves the healthiest milk is the milk a child chooses and consumes.

I just read about the Milky Way Study, supporting other evidence that milkfat is neutral to beneficial, even for the heart. The whole milk group had a decline in body mass percentile.

That’s impressive! So what are we waiting for? Let’s solve demonization of skim milk by stopping federal demonization of whole milk and making the choice available to schoolchildren in Pennsylvania and the U.S.

— Bernie Morrissey

Chairman, Grassroots Pennsylvania Dairy Advisory Committee