Nutrition and Dairy Industry Benefits Associated With Promoting Lowfat Milk: Evidence From the 1989 CSFII

The dairy industry spends about $225 million each year promoting its products, but historically, it has resisted explicit promotion of lowfat milk. This study examines the potential nutritional and industry benefits associated with greater use of lowfat milk by the U.S. population. The 1989 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) was used to examine the association between types of milk, intake of lipids and calcium, and quantity of milk consumed. Results show that compared with whole milk drinkers, lowfat milk drinkers obtain less fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol from milk. However, lowfat milk drinkers are more likely than their counterparts to exceed the recommended levels of fat and saturated fat from all food sources. Lowfat milk drinkers consumed one-third to one-half more milk on the recalled day than whole-milk drinkers consumed. These results are consistent with other evidence that the dairy industry may derive economic benefits from promoting lowfat milk; the nutritional benefits are less clear. Additional study is warranted in this area: the effects of milk type on milk intake and dietary substitutions. Nutrition education should continue to promote specific dietary changes within the context of the total diet.
For the past few decades, public-private partnerships have emerged as an important element of nutrition and public health strategies (14,17). Similarly, the Institute of Medicine has recommended the negotiation of [...]