NDC provides science-based dairy nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier nation, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, and industry. You may be surprised to see the rigor behind the content NDC creates and shares on the checkoff’s website and social media channels.
NDC operates through an evidence-based lens when providing nutrition and health information on dairy foods. It starts with peer-reviewed science that is further translated to provide perspective and application on how dairy foods can support healthy eating patterns. It’s why consumers and the health and wellness community continue to rely on NDC as a trusted, go-to dairy nutrition research and education resource.
NDC’s social and digital content, including many articles and resources we post on www.USDairy.com, is generated by our credentialed NDC team of registered dietitians and doctorate-level subject matter experts. Once this content is completed, it goes through additional fact checking by the NDC regulatory affairs team and complies with regulations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
It then heads to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the final step of the review process to make sure we are operating within the purview of the dairy checkoff, which includes alignment with authoritative and credible resources. This could include guidance from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, FDA, Centers for Disease Control, Health and Human Services, as well as professional organizations such as the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Medical Association, and others.
Once these steps have been completed, you’ll see this information appear on our Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram channels, which farmers are encouraged to share with their online followers.
NDC also promotes evidence-based content from non-checkoff funded research studies or authoritative statements. These studies and statements undergo a rigorous review by NDC scientists before they are promoted via social media channels.
For instance, whether NDC is sponsoring the research or another funding agency like the National Institutes of Health, the study’s details matter when determining how this new science furthers our understanding of dairy’s role on health and wellness. This includes the type of study conducted (such as animal study, observational, clinical trial, or systematic review), the study population (children, adolescents, young adults, or older adults), where it was conducted (in the U.S. or comparable location or among a population less comparable to the U.S.), what outcome was measured, and more. All this information is carefully examined and put into context to ensure that our content is accurate and easily understood by consumers.
And context matters when explaining science to consumers. It is important to not just focus on what the latest study found, but also how that study fits into the broader body of evidence. A simple analogy is a puzzle. Each study is like a puzzle piece that comes together to help show a more complete picture of how dairy foods are linked to different health and wellness conditions.
We also must be mindful of language that could be misleading to consumers and is not approved by the FDA. For example, we cannot say dairy foods can “treat” a certain health condition or disease, despite the fact you’ll see this word used frequently in magazines and other online sources. Instead, our language will be along the lines of how “dairy foods can have a positive impact on our health and may reduce the risk of chronic disease like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
Farmers and importers who fund NDC’s mission can be assured that when we publicly share science-backed information on dairy that it is based on a thorough body of peer-reviewed evidence. The steps we have in place and our expert NDC team help us continue to build upon a longstanding, research-led education legacy, which is part of building trust in the milk and dairy foods farmers produce.
You can read more about NDC’s guiding principles here.
In my next blog, I’ll share insights on the NDC ambassador and adviser team and the important role they play in sharing science-based dairy information through their credible third-party voices.
To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit usdairy.com/for-farmers or to reach us directly, send an email to TalkToTheCheckoff@dairy.org.
The author is a Senior Vice President of Digital Initiatives at Dairy Management Inc.
