“Milk isn’t Democratic or Republican. It’s universal, as household data shows,” wrote Gregg Doud, president and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation, on Sept. 2, 2025. “That’s something to prize in 2025. It should stay that way.”
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative is many things. Some are unsettling, many are controversial but for dairy, MAHA offers opportunities for policies that better align with what nutrition scientists and families already know: dairy boosts public health and its consumption should be encouraged.
“Dairy needs to be ready to support good ideas and educate both policymakers and consumers in ways that benefit everyone it serves,” said Doud.
We are all ambassadors for dairy and the time is now to speak up. That’s because “it” is out there. What’s “it?”
“It” is the truth about dairy. That it is inherently nutritious. That pasteurization makes it safe and does not impact that inherent nutrition. That milk delivers 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and protein. And, that milk’s unique matrix also provides the body with bioactives responsible for critical steps in physiological functions.
That’s correct. Scientists are starting to better understand that these compounds, when present in whole, minimally processed foods, interact with each other, impacting digestion and absorption. In the dairy industry, this is now called the Dairy Matrix effect. In simple terms, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is “food as medicine.” This is the future of food. This is “it,” what we have all been waiting for.
“Dairy’s future is incredibly bright,” according to Doud. “Any skepticism toward that idea can quickly be countered with about 10 billion reasons. That’s the dollar amount of investments in new dairy processing capacity that’s coming online between 2023 and 2026, according to an NMPF analysis. Ultimately, these investments are an investment in the U.S. dairy farmer.”
This is all happening at the same time as the iconic “got milk?” campaign celebrates its 30th anniversary. The California Milk Processor Board introduced the campaign in 1993, then licensed it to the Milk Processor Education Program in 1995 for national use.
To commemorate this important year, the California Milk Processor Board has embarked on a statewide tour that includes a traveling photo studio, giving people the opportunity to pose with a milk mustache on their upper lip for a photo.
The poster language reads: “Real is back. Real people. Real milk. Real protein. Real strength. Real calcium. Real nutrients. Real good. Are we for real? You bet we are.”
Milk—and dairy foods made with milk—speak the MAHA love language. Add some value, in the form of extra nutrients, more protein, less sugar, no lactose, and now you are talking “dairy with benefits.” But remember to keep it real and simple. Be transparent and explain the benefit of the added value.
Doud wrote: “MAHA’s emphasis on nutrient-dense ‘real’ foods, including whole milk, could further raise demand for traditional dairy products. Fluid milk, yogurts and butter are viewed as less processed than their alternatives. Those products are gaining market share, just look at cottage cheese and yogurt in the snack category. MAHA is part of this trend toward consumers shifting away from additive-laden options toward time-tested nutrition.
Many plant-based alternatives rely heavily on synthetic ingredients, making them suspicious to the often-discussed ‘MAHA moms’ who prefer a diet for their children that’s less dependent on products whose labels read like science projects. We’ve been talking about this for year, and the preference for so-called clean labels is yet another competitive advantage for dairy, which already wins on nutrition, cost and taste.
Speaking of nutrition, the MAHA conversation provides an opportunity to highlight the essential nutrients present in dairy products, including calcium, vitamins and bioactive fatty acids. Dairy can be front-and-center in a healthy diet. We can lead the conversation.
[At the same time, we] need to be very clear in communicating the value modern agriculture provides to U.S. and global consumers. Technology and innovation has made America the world’s agricultural leader and giving up on any of it without a thorough conversation and understanding the implications of any actions is essential.”
This latter statement is a reference to farmers’ need for chemical and biologic products to protect against weeds, pests and disease. In the MAHA report released Sept. 9, 2025, this was addressed, and the agriculture industry was pleased with the proposed efforts.
My colleague Jeff Gelski at
Food Business News wrote “Ag industry praises MAHA report’s pesticide views.” You can read more
HERE.
Also on September 9, MAHA released the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy, a sweeping plan with more than 120 initiatives to reverse the failed policies that fueled America’s childhood chronic disease epidemic. As ambassadors for dairy, it’s time to dedicate resources to raise public awareness and education.
“U.S. dairy farmers, processors and the entire dairy supply chain share the Commission’s goal of reducing childhood chronic disease. America’s dairy companies have already reduced added sugars in flavored school milk by 60% since 2006 and are actively removing all certified artificial colors from dairy products included in school meals and ice cream sold at retail,” said Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “At the same time, dairy companies continue to innovate by offering a wider variety of nutrient-rich and lactose-free options to meet the needs of today’s families and children.”
It's all about dairy with benefits.
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