Cary Frye, IDFA senior vice president of regulatory affairs and the dairy processing representative on the International Dairy Federation (IDF) board, joined fellow board members last month for their bi-annual meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The multinational group discussed final preparations for IDF’s World Dairy Summit 2019, as well as plans for IDF’s program of work on nutrition, dairy safety and quality, sustainability and standards that are important to the global dairy sector.

“The American dairy industry is heavily involved in all levels of the work IDF conducts to ensure the global industry has the best scientific expertise to produce nutritious, safe and sustainable dairy products,” Frye said. “I’m proud to represent IDFA members and the U.S. industry as a member of the IDF board, which oversees these important efforts.”

World Dairy Summit

The World Dairy Summit will be held October 15-19, 2018, in Daejeon, South Korea. It will bring together dairy stakeholders from across the globe to examine the impact of a sustainable dairy industry on human and animal health and wellness around the world, as well as dairy technology, the environment and ways to engage the next generation of dairy scientists, farmers and consumers.

Committee Progress

The board reviewed projects undertaken by IDF standing committee experts on the organization’s priority areas, including:

  • Assessing protein quality for infant formula;
  • Developing a standard for natural antimicrobials in conjunction with the International Organization for Standardization, an independent group that sets international standards;
  • Updating the Codex Alimentarius General Standards for Food Additives to include all approved uses of additives in dairy foods, which Codex currently lists in its dairy standards;
  • Researching the balance between the global environmental effects of producing dairy products and using dairy to improve global nutrition; and
  • Examining topics under farm management, such as animal health and welfare and antimicrobial resistance.

The board also discussed strategies to measure the success of the organization’s sustainability efforts as a part of its Dairy Declaration, which recognizes the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as the central framework for IDF’s dairy sustainability actions.

In addition to Frye, the board members who attended the meeting were Tova Avrech, Israel; Jorgen Hald Christensen, Denmark; Jean-Marc Delort, Switzerland; Marcel Denieul and Thierry Geslain, France; Ron Maynard, Canada; Alwyn Kraamwinkle, South Africa; IDF President Judith Bryans, United Kingdom; and IDF Executive Director Caroline Emonds; United Kingdom.

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About IDF

IDF’s 45 member countries represent 75 percent of the world’s current milk production. The National Committees work together to provide the scientific expertise for the global dairy industry. Members frequently consult with other global organizations, including the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

For more information, contact Frye at cfrye@idfa.org.