Chad Smith, NAFB News Service

The American Dairy Coalition recently fired off a letter to Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar regarding whole milk. The coalition, which represents dairy farmers, told both department heads that they’re unhappy about the possibility the report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will recommend continuing a ban on whole milk in schools. The Hagstrom Report says the coalition has asked Perdue and Azar to intervene on the question. In the letter, the dairy coalition says, “Despite an abundance of science that demonstrates that full-fat dairy products reduce chronic disease in children and adults and promotes learning children’s learning ability, the Dietary Guidelines of America continues to set caps on saturated fats, effectively banning whole milk from daycares and school nutrition programs.” The Dietary Guidelines for America set the nation’s leading nutrition policies. The American Dairy Coalition wants Perdue and Azar to ensure the publication of the DGA is updated to include the most recent evidence on the benefits of saturated fats and the healthy role they play in the diets of both school-aged children and adults.