What a year it has already been

Last month, I compiled a bunch of expected 2026 trends in this article. However, not discussed was the importance of dairy regulations, for which 2026 has already been a banner year.

There were two huge announcements impacting the dairy industry in January, announced one week apart. First off on Jan. 7, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) released the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The report affirms dairy products’ central role in federal nutrition recommendations, recommends Americans consume three servings of dairy each day, and recommends the consumption of whole and full-fat dairy products such as whole milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products.

“These Guidelines return us to the basics,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. states. “American households must prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods — protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains — and dramatically reduce highly processed foods. This is how we ‘Make America Healthy Again.’”

Notes Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA (International Dairy Foods Association): “The new Dietary Guidelines send a clear and powerful message to Americans: dairy foods belong at the center of a healthy diet. IDFA applauds HHS and USDA for grounding the 2025–2030 DGA in today’s nutrition science, including the evidence showing that dairy products at all fat levels support healthy eating patterns. Recommending the consumption of whole and full-fat dairy products such as whole milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products is an important victory for consumer choice and public health.”

As huge as the DGA announcement was, perhaps it was an appetizer to U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 14 signing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 into law, paving the way for whole and 2% milk to return to America’s school cafeterias for the first time in more than a decade. The bill allows schools to provide students with a variety of fluid milk options, which can now include flavored and unflavored organic or conventional whole, 2%, 1%, skim and lactose-free milk. 

“The long wait is over! Whole milk is coming back to schools! This law is a win for our children, parents, and school nutrition leaders, giving schools the flexibility to offer the flavored and unflavored milk options, across all healthy fat levels, that meet students’ needs and preferences,” Dykes notes. “IDFA is deeply grateful to President Trump for signing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law, and to U.S. Reps. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson and Kim Schrier, and U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall and Peter Welch for their leadership in advancing this bipartisan legislation through the Congress… IDFA and our members stand ready to partner with USDA, states, and school nutrition leaders to help schools offer the milk options kids prefer so more students can benefit from the 13 essential nutrients that milk provides.”

Greg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, adds: “Dairy farmers and their cooperatives couldn’t be more thrilled that whole and 2% milk is returning to school meals. Dairy is a nutrition powerhouse that should be used to its fullest potential, and that means making it available in the same varieties families consume at home. We are ready to help schools and USDA in any way we can as this important legislation is implemented, and we thank the Trump administration, our advocates on Capitol Hill, and everyone who has worked to make school meals better through increased access to dairy.”

Great news keeps pouring in for the dairy industry. When combining the DGA with the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids and the ongoing powerhouse of the health and wellness movement, this industry is running on all cylinders. Also of note is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of GLP-1 receptor agonists in a pill form, which could drive even more consumers to the dairy industry and its magical ingredient: protein.

Last year, I called the current times the “golden era for dairy.” Perhaps, “platinum era” is a better phrase this time around. DF

Brian Berk is Editor-in-Chief of Dairy Foods. Contact him at 516-402-1369 or berkb@bnpmedia.com.