IDFA Blog

It always seems like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are in a never-ending process. They are required to be updated every five years. And each version of the DGA takes two to three years to develop. Over this multi-year process there are many steps, which involve an analysis of nutrition research, public comment periods, additions of expert input and time for message development. IDFA provides comments about the role of dairy products in a heathy diet several times through this process. For past versions, the process began when the departments of Agriculture and Human and Health Services (HHS)  named of a panel of nutrition experts to review nutrition research and issue a report that recommends what the DGA should contain. Then staff from USDA ... Read More

March is National Nutrition Month, and March 14 is designated as Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day to honor these nutrition experts and health professionals. IDFA would like to thank Michelle Matto, an R.D.N. and IDFA consultant on labeling and nutrition issues, for her many contributions to the association and to the dairy industry. Matto posted her latest blog this week titled “Go Further with Food (and RDNs)!” Read More

This week is National School Breakfast Week, a celebration of the program and people that serves more than 14 million children every day. The theme is “I Heart School Breakfast” and the School Nutrition Association is encouraging school food service staff, parents and students to share the ways that they love school breakfast. Dairy companies love school breakfast too, and show it by providing the milk, yogurt and cheese that are important parts of school breakfast. Together with other nutritious foods that are also required in a school breakfast, dairy products contribute to the healthy meals and full stomachs that so many kids need in the morning. Read More

In this blog post, Michelle Matto, IDFA's labeling consultant, discusses the regulations for ingredient labeling. The regulations state that all ingredients must be declared by their common and usual name, which is sometimes set by regulation or by a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notification. Brand names or extra descriptions (e.g., “super creamy milk”) are not allowed in the ingredient list. Additional statements about ingredients could be made elsewhere on the label, as long as they are truthful and not misleading. Read More

Thousands of students are currently celebrating National School Lunch Week in the perfect way—eating nutritious meals at school, according to Michelle Matto, IDFA nutrition and labeling consultant. In her new Nutrition Notes blog, Matto says the celebratory week encourages students, parents, foodservice professionals and food companies to tell others about the ingredient they think makes American school lunches successful. Matto said that the addition of more options for milk, including the return of low-fat flavored milk, is a real success story for students and school nutritionists. She invited readers to celebrate the increased options for nutrition school milk brings to students. Read More