New Global Dairy Partnership Formed to Advance Research

A new dairy research initiative, the International Dairy Research Consortium for Nutrition and Health, has been formed to accelerate pre-competitive research on the nutrition and health benefits of dairy products. The consortium was formed by six global dairy organizations: the Centre National Interprofessionnel de l’Economie Laitière (France), Dairy Australia, Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Dairy Research Institute (U.S.), the Danish Dairy Research Foundation, and the Dutch Dairy Association.

The group’s goal is to identify areas of largest potential for increasing dairy demand. To that end, it plans to share knowledge and resources to better understand how the major nutrients and other components in milk can provide health benefits such as those for metabolic health and other chronic diseases.

“Dairy nutrition research is at a critical point in that there is mounting evidence indicating that dairy’s benefits extend beyond good nutrition and may reduce risk of several major chronic diseases, but more research is needed to fully substantiate these claims,” says Gregory Miller, PhD, president of the Dairy Research Institute and executive vice president of the National Dairy Council.