ROSEMONT, ILL. – Dairy Management Inc. announced the dairy checkoff and Mayo Clinic are embarking upon a five-year collaboration involving research and consumer outreach. The partnership was established to improve public health and advance the benefits of dairy products.
As part of the joint effort, National Dairy Council scientists and registered dietitians will team with Mayo Clinic physicians and health professionals, as well as Innovation Center for US Dairy experts.
Their collaborative work will focus on three areas:
• Researching how dairy foods, particularly whole milk, affect cardiovascular health and metabolic conditions. DMI also revealed other possible areas of study include dairy’s role on calm, sleep, digestive health and immunity.
• Sharing established and new dairy research and insights with the scientific community, health and wellness professionals and consumers.
• Exploring how dairy can play a role in digital platforms that propel people into new ways of managing wellness.
The alliance will work toward these objectives at the Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale and Phoenix, Ariz., and Jacksonville, Fla.
“This is a milestone moment for dairy farmers who made this possible through their century-long commitment to research and dairy nutrition,” said DMI chief executive officer Barbara O’Brien. “This doesn’t happen without the strong national reputation farmers have built through National Dairy Council.”
O’Brien added: “This is a powerful collaboration that shows how the dairy checkoff is expanding our scientific network to bring a modernized complement to our legacy and move us further into the future.”
As part of the partnership, the dairy checkoff and Mayo Clinic also plan to co-produce content that gives consumers information about dairy that is aimed to maintain confidence in products and businesses.
“This collaboration illustrates the checkoff’s consumer-first focus and our commitment to leading with credible science,” said Marilyn Hershey, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer and chair of DMI.
