The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) had its fifth public meeting last week. Many draft conclusions were presented, which gave some indicators about the content of the DGAC’s final report, but also showed that the DGAC still has a significant amount of work left to do. The potential messages about dairy seem to be mixed.

Americans are still not consuming the recommended levels of dairy. The committee demonstrated the wide range of nutrients that are provided by dairy foods, including: calcium, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorous, and choline. When comparing dairy products to dairy alternates, they also showed that it is impossible to fully replace the nutrients provided by dairy with other foods or beverages.

However, committee members did question the 2010 DGA recommendation for three servings of dairy per day. Although three servings of dairy result in higher intakes of the above nutrients, the committee questioned the need for three servings, noting a lack of research based on entire food patterns.

The committee also examined the types of dairy products that should be recommended. They differentiated between different types of dairy products, with a proposal to recommend increased intake of low-fat and fat-free fluid milk and yogurt, while recommending a decrease in cheese consumption. The DGAC is concerned about the levels of sodium and saturated fat present in cheese.

The DGAC characterized the existing status of added sugars as coming from “currently unmeasurable sources,” and they felt strongly that added sugars should be labeled. The focus was on reducing sugar sweetened beverages, but added sugars from flavored yogurt and flavored milk were also mentioned in a negative way.

The final DGAC meeting is currently scheduled for early November. The DGAC report will be presented to the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Health and Human Services by the end of 2014. The Dietary Guidelines will then be developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Did you listen to last week’s DGAC meeting? What important points did you hear?