WASHINGTON — The latest insights into what the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans could look like included recommendations that people consume three servings of dairy per day and that dairy products remain a distinct food group associated with specific health and nutrition benefits.

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) released Dec. 10 its scientific report, filled with findings for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) said it welcomed the report’s strong support for dairy nutrition, but pointed out the DGAC didn’t address scientific studies that support dairy at all fat levels.

IDFA senior vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs Roberta Wagner noted the DGAC included dairy as a core category in its recommended “Eat Healthy Your Way” dietary pattern.

“The committee, which evaluates the latest findings and overall bodies of evidence in nutrition science, found strong evidence pointing to positive health outcomes from dairy foods,” Wagner acknowledged.

She said the entire US dairy industry would be pleased to see science once again backing “the unmatched health and nutrition benefits that dairy products provide.”

However, Wagner said DGAC excluded from its report “a number of scientific studies which show the health benefits of dairy at each fat level,” noting that IDFA urged the committee “for many months” to disclose which research would be used to form its recommendations.

“There is robust evidence to support the federal government disposing of its outdated recommendation to limit dairy consumption based on fat level,” Wagner said. “The latest science shows that full fat dairy products do not increase risk of cardiovascular disease or weight gain, and that they may in fact have positive health benefits.”

IDFA shared that it provided the DGAC with the available scientific evidence on the subject. Wagner said the association encouraged HHS and USDA to “remedy this oversight in the final [Dietary Guidelines for Americans] expected to issue in 2025, and to work to ensure a more transparent and scientifically rigorous process for the development of future DGAC reports.”

Conversely, IDFA stated its appreciation for the DGAC report confirming lactose-free dairy as integral to the dairy group.

Added Wagner: “The report also highlighted the association between total and higher fat milk with favorable growth outcomes, including lower risk of obesity, in younger children. Dairy processors provide a wide range of nutritious dairy options, at a variety of fat and sweetness levels that can work within the healthy diets of Americans."

HHS and USDA will receive public comments on the DGAC report for 60 days and will hold a public meeting on Jan. 16, 2025. HHS and USDA will consider the DGAC report while creating the next updated version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is updated every five years. The next version should be released late in 2025.