The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced yesterday that it was extending the public comment period for responses to the report issued by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee last month. With a 30-day extension, the deadline for comments is now May 8. When the report was issued, IDFA and other food trade associations requested a 120-day extension.

Oral comments will be accepted at a public meeting on March 24, and IDFA is scheduled to present comments then, along with representatives from the National Dairy Council and the National Milk Producers Federation.

The recommendations included in the committee’s 571-page report focused mainly on healthy eating patterns. Overall, the dairy category received strong endorsements that were consistent with the 2010 Guidelines, which supported consumption of lowfat and fat-free milk and dairy products. The committee’s report affirmed that dairy foods are excellent sources of key nutrients that are under-consumed, including vitamin D, calcium, and potassium.

Read “Dairy Remains Strong Option in Dietary Guidelines Committee Report” for more details.