Dairy Organizations Form Research Consortium

ROSEMONT, Ill.Six worldwide dairy organizations formed the International Dairy Research Consortium for Nutrition and Health, a new partnership to accelerate pre-competitive research on the nutrition and health benefits of dairy. The consortiums first meeting will be held in August to begin identifying common research priorities and developing an integrated research plan.

Founding partners include the Centre National Interprofessionnel de lÉconomie Laitière (France), Dairy Australia, Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Dairy Research Institute (U.S.), the Danish Dairy Research Foundation and the Dutch Dairy Association. Global Dairy Platform will serve as the secretariat.

The consortiums mission is to advance dairy nutrition and health research by identifying common goals with the largest potential to increase dairy demand. It will align the knowledge and resources needed to advance those research goals rapidly and for broadest application. Potential interest areas include better understanding how major nutrients and other components in milk may provide benefits related to metabolic health and chronic diseases.

Dairy nutrition research is at a critical point in that there is mounting evidence indicating that dairys benefits extend beyond good nutrition and may reduce risk of several major chronic diseases, but more research is needed to fully substantiate these claims," said Gregory Miller, Ph.D., president of the Dairy Research Institute and executive vice president of the National Dairy Council. Building international alignment through this consortium will accelerate our ability to firmly establish newer benefits of dairy and its position as an essential part of a healthy diet."