Press Releases

The Senate Agriculture Committee today approved legislation to enhance the quality of nutrition in federal feeding programs, including provisions that would help reverse the decline of milk consumption in schools and improve the health of America’s children. IDFA and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) praised Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) for constructing child nutrition legislation that is inclusive and bipartisan.

IDFA and the National Milk Producers Federation praise Congress for its decision to include in a conference report a dairy-specific amendment that would benefit producers, processors and consumers. The bipartisan amendment, sponsored by Reps. Richard Hanna of New York and Elizabeth Esty of Connecticut and championed by House Transportation Committee Conferee Rep. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin, gives states the option to issue permits allowing milk haulers to increase their truck weights beyond Interstate Highway System limits.

More than 70 of the nation’s leading food and agriculture associations, including IDFA, today sent a letter urging Congress to include the Safe, Flexible and Efficient Trucking Act (SAFE) as an amendment to the highway reauthorization legislation, which is expected to go before the full House this week. “The SAFE Trucking Act would safely modernize truck shipments on Interstate highways by reducing the number of trucks needed to move our commodities and products through better utilization of existing capacity, the letter said. “On behalf of America’s food and agriculture community, we urge you to support Representative Ribble’s common-sense amendment because it is good for taxpayers, consumers, farmers, businesses, highway safety and the environment.”

IDFA joined scores of food and agriculture associations in urging Congress to include the Safe, Flexible and Efficient (SAFE) Trucking Act as an amendment to the highway reauthorization legislation. “Truck weight reform is a key issue for our members and the many other industries relying on trucks to move goods to market, as well as all to of us who share our highways with them. We hope to see it pass the House this week during the highway bill debate,” said Chelsee Woodey, IDFA director of legislative affairs.

The dairy industry today said it is “critical” that Congress solve the trade dispute over country-of-origin labeling to head off damaging new tariffs on U.S. dairy exports by Canada and Mexico. In a letter to the Senate, IDFA, the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council expressed “growing apprehension” that retaliatory tariffs are drawing closer under a finding that said parts of the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law violate World Trade Organization rules.

“IDFA thanks U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator Darci Vetter and the entire U.S. interagency negotiating team for their hard work in bringing the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations to a close,” said Clay Hough, IDFA senior group vice president. “We look forward to reviewing the agreement’s dairy provisions as they become available.”

More than 35 industry leaders – including Tetra Pak, GEA Group, Delkor, Sanimatic and Serac – have committed to exhibit at ProFood Tech since its launch less than two weeks ago. ProFood Tech is a collaboration of three trade show powerhouses: PMMI, producer of PACK EXPO; Koelnmesse, known for Anuga; and IDFA. The show, which replaces the International Dairy Show, will debut April 4-6, 2017, at McCormick Place in Chicago, and will continue biennially, in odd numbered years.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Peggy Armstrong (202) 220-3508 parmstrong@idfa.org (Washington, D.C. – September 23, 2015) When the 2015 International Dairy Show ended last week at McCormick Place in Chicago, exhibitors shared their success stories and offered an enthusiastic welcome to the launch of ProFood Tech, a new event that will focus on processing technologies serving the food and beverage industry. ProFood Tech will make its debut April 4-6, 2017, at McCormick Place. One exhibitor with an expansive booth at last week’s show was Serac Inc., which specializes in innovative packaging solutions for liquid filling machines, aseptic filling machines and bottle ...

IDFA announced the winners of the IDFA Innovations Awards at the International Dairy Show last week in Chicago. They are Coperion K-Tron; Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc.; Berry Plastics Corporation; FOSS; HP Hood Sacramento; and Glanbia Foods. One winner was selected in each of five categories – food safety, packaging, processing, ingredients/flavorings/seasonings/additives and sustainability – and attendees voted during the show to select Glanbia Foods as the winner of the Attendee Choice Award.

The International Dairy Foods Association has announced the names of 109 dairy company operations that will receive IDFA Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards and Achievement Certificates this year. This is the 12th year that IDFA has sponsored the program, which highlights the outstanding worker safety records of U.S. dairy companies. The awards were on display this week during the International Dairy Show at McCormick Place in Chicago.

South Dakota State University students garnered all top honors at the 94nd Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest held this week in conjunction with the International Dairy Show in Chicago. The University earned its ninth consecutive All Products team title, while students Nicole Jax captured first place in the All Products undergraduate category and Dikshi Bawa earned the top spot in the graduate category. In addition to IDFA, the contest garnered sponsorships from more than 34 dairy companies and organizations.

During the fall board meetings held this week in Chicago, IDFA and its three constituent organizations – the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA) – elected new officers and 23 new board members. Leading the associations during the next year will be IDFA Chair Mike Reidy, senior vice president - corporate affairs, Leprino Foods Company; Vice Chair Gregg Tanner, chief executive officer, Dean Foods Company; Secretary Ron Dunford, president, Schreiber US, Schreiber Foods, Inc.; and Treasurer Rachel Kyllo, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Kemps LLC/Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.

Three trade show leaders joined forces today to announce the launch of ProFood Tech, a new event that will focus on processing technologies serving the food and beverage industry. ProFood Tech will make its debut April 4-6, 2017, at McCormick Place, in Chicago, Ill. The event is powered by three of the world’s trade show leaders — PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies; Koelnmesse; and IDFA. With an expansive show floor and enhanced educational programming led by IDFA, ProFood Tech will attract high-level buyers from every food and beverage sector.

The dairy industry today welcomed the introduction of the Safe, Flexible and Efficient Trucking Act in the House of Representatives. The bill would allow states to increase the gross vehicle weight limit on commercial trucks if they are properly equipped with six axles and meet the same safety standards as trucks currently allowed on interstates. Known as the Safe Trucking Act, the bill was introduced by Representative Reid Ribble (R-WI).“IDFA thanks Congressman Ribble for his leadership on an issue that is vitally important to the makers and marketers of dairy products and the many other industries relying on trucks to move goods to market, as to those who share our highways with them,” said Connie Tipton, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). “As a representative of dairy companies as well as a mother and grandmother, I personally believe it’s a win-win when we can achieve greater efficiency and affordability along with safer roadways.”

The search for innovative solutions is often the driving force for dairy leaders who attend the International Dairy Show. What will be the best solutions this year? IDFA and Dairy Foods magazine have announced the 21 finalists for the 2015 Innovations Awards in five categories: Food Safety, Ingredient/Flavoring/Seasoning, Packaging, Processing and Sustainability. The winners will be selected before the show by a team of industry experts and IDFA staff, and voting for the Attendee Choice Award is now open online. All award winners will be announced at the Dairy Show, which will run September 15-18 in Chicago.