Dairy Checkoff Enters Collaboration With Mayo Clinic

Contact:
Scott Wallin
(407) 765-1561
Scott.Wallin@Dairy.org

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The dairy checkoff has entered a five-year collaboration with Mayo Clinic to explore research and consumer outreach efforts to improve public health and advance dairy’s benefits.

The checkoff’s memorandum of understanding with Mayo entails Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), National Dairy Council (NDC) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy (IC).

“This is a milestone moment for dairy farmers who made this possible through their century-long commitment to research and dairy nutrition,” said DMI CEO Barbara O’Brien. “This doesn’t happen without the strong national reputation farmers have built through National Dairy Council.

“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.”

The collaboration will be incorporated across Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale and Phoenix, Ariz., and Jacksonville, Fla.

Three focus areas
Teams comprised of NDC scientists and registered dietitians, Mayo Clinic physicians and health professionals as well as Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy experts will lead initiatives focused on three areas:

• Research to discover how dairy foods, particularly whole milk dairy, impacts cardiovascular health and metabolic conditions. Other potential research areas include dairy’s role on calm, sleep, digestive health and immunity.
• Communicating dairy’s strong body of evidence, new research and insights with the scientific community, health and wellness professionals and consumers.
• Exploring dairy’s role through digital platforms to propel people into a new way of precisely managing their wellness.

In addition, co-created content will help debunk dairy myths and help consumers maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms 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.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About Dairy Management Inc.
Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s 31,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

About Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy® is a leadership forum that brings together the dairy community and third parties to address the changing needs and expectations of consumers and customers. Initiated in 2008 by dairy farmers through the dairy checkoff, Innovation Center leaders and members collaborate on important areas like the environment, nutrition and health, animal care, food safety, and community contributions. Through the Innovation Center, the U.S. dairy community demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement from farm to table, striving to ensure a socially responsible and economically viable dairy community. For more information, visit usdairy.com/about-us/innovation-center.

About National Dairy Council®
National Dairy Council® (NDC) is the non-profit organization dedicated to bringing to life the dairy community’s shared vision of a healthy, happy, sustainable world – with science as the foundation. NDC provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier nation, including health and wellness professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. NDC has taken a leadership role in promoting child health and wellness through programs such as Fuel Up to Play 60. Developed by NDC and the National Football League (NFL), Fuel Up to Play 60 encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.