Americans consumed record amounts of dairy products in 2023 led by surging demand for butter and cheese. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that per capita consumption of dairy products reached 661 pounds per person in 2023, an increase of 7 pounds per person over the previous year and matching the all-time record set in 2021. Cottage cheese also continues to win back shoppers, notching 2.1 pounds per person in 2023, a level not seen since 2019.

In a Special Episode, we sit down with Ashley Waldman, founder of Jubilee's, a company that specializes in flavored milk with reduced sugar to allow kids to enjoy a flavorful milk product while enjoying more health benefits. In this interview, Waldman discusses how to make a healthy milk product without sacrificing taste, how most dairy products can benefit from less sugar, and all the health benefits children can receive with more milk intake in their lives.

As dairy processors continue to grapple with the H5N1 influenza strain, first detected in dairy cattle in March 2024, that has now impacted 549 dairy herds in 15 states, the USDA has a new milk testing strategy. The new Federal Order requires that raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with USDA for testing. This new guidance from USDA, which was developed with significant input from state, veterinary and public health stakeholders, will facilitate comprehensive H5N1 surveillance of the nation’s milk supply and dairy herds.