The long wait for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is over. The Guidelines were released today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Similar to the 2005 Guidelines, this version includes low-fat and fat-free dairy foods as a food group to encourage. The recommended levels of servings are very similar to the 2005 Guidelines as well: three servings for those nine and older, two servings for two-to-three-year olds, but two and one-half servings for children between the ages of four and eight, an increase of a half serving. Low-fat and fat-free dairy foods are recommended to increase calcium, vitamin D and potassium in American diets, while limiting calories and saturated fat. According to the Guidelines, saturated fat intake should be kept to less than 10 percent of total calories, and sodium should be less than 2300 mg per day (with a limit of 1500 mg for many Americans). Neither of these suggested limits was as low as anticipated. The Guidelines stressed the importance of nutrient-rich foods, defined as foods without added sugar and with low levels of sodium and solid fat. The Guidelines include a number of small practical steps that individuals and families can make in order to improve their food choices. Although the Guidelines generally recommend limiting added sugars and solid fats, fat-free chocolate milk is given as an example of a good way of using added sugar to increase the palatability and consumption of a nutrient-dense food. Another recommendation was to gradually switch to lower-fat versions of dairy products, which would include fluid milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream and frozen dairy desserts. How Will This Affect Dairy? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the official recommendations of the federal government about how Americans should eat. Federal programs, including school meals, are required to align with the current version of the Dietary Guidelines, which could affect the foods served in those programs. This could increase the demand for lower-fat, lower-calorie and lower-sodium versions of dairy products for these programs and in the marketplace. IDFA/Industry Activities IDFA provided written and oral comments to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and to the agencies after the report of the advisory committee was released. We stressed that the recommendations should be practical for Americans to follow in order to improve their food choices. IDFA will continue to analyze the impact of the Guidelines on dairy foods. For members who would like to learn more about the Dietary Guidelines, they will be discussed on a call of IDFA’s Nutrition Working Group on Friday, February 4. Please contact me for more information at amfoodnutrition@gmail.com. What products do you have that can help your customers take small steps toward meeting the Dietary Guidelines? Do you use the Dietary Guidelines in your communications with customers?