Sodium has become a real hot button issue in the nutrition world, in public health circles and for the general public over the past few years. Unfortunately, single-minded focus on one nutrient like sodium can often turn a negative light on foods that contain sodium, without consideration of the entire nutrient package of that food. Since salt and sodium serve important functions in cheesemaking, many cheeses contain significant levels of sodium, although the levels vary from cheese to cheese. As you know, in addition to sodium, many cheeses are also good sources of protein, calcium, phosphorous and other nutrients. Over the past months, I have worked with industry members as part of the Cheese and Sodium Best Practices Task Force, organized by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. The group has met a number of times, identifying best practices and challenges in addressing the issue of sodium in cheese. One of the challenges identified was that the general public and even health professionals may not have enough information about the manufacture and overall nutrient profile of cheeses. In order to address this knowledge gap, a sub-group of the task force has developed communication tools that could be useful in educating consumers and health professionals about the nutritional benefits of cheese and sodium in the context of cheese’s entire nutrient profile. The sub-group also compiled a document that could be useful for cheesemakers interested in educating their customers about the role of cheese in healthy diets. Feel free to use these documents to help jump start your communication efforts supporting the role of cheese in a healthy eating plan. What has your company done to educate your customers and health professionals on the health benefits of cheese and other dairy products? What new approaches could you use to highlight the nutritional benefits of cheese and dairy?