Quick hits: Mississippi bans lab-grown dairy; Lawyers for Reporters; pay phones help boomers and zoomers connect

State-level bans like Mississippi's can restrict access to the 
 lab-grown dairy industry. (Photo by A. Chaudhary, Unsplash)

Mississippi is the first state to ban lab-grown dairy after passing a bill effective July 1, reports Karen Bohnert for Dairy Herd Management. Lab-grown dairy is "produced through precision fermentation or cell-culturing techniques" and often referred to as "fake milk," Bohnert explains. The bill, HB 1153, requires strict labeling requirements and updated authority to state inspectors to prevent the manufacture, sale and distribution of cell-cultured dairy throughout the state, Bohnert reports.

Lawyers for Reporters, created by the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, is a free resource for American local and public-interest journalism organizations needing legal services, reports Tandy Lau for E&P Magazine. There's a five-person in-house legal team based in New York offering assistance, and they partner with outside counsel for extra support in farther areas. Managing Attorney Kay Murray told E&P they "really guide [journalists] to ensure that they've got the backup to get it right, that they are confident about getting it right [and] that their understanding with their sources is something that everybody is on the same page about." They hope to soon provide more support for investigative reporting and coverage of immigration issues as well. "If I was trying to quantify the value of [Lawyers for Reporter's assistance], it would add up to easily tens of thousands of dollars if not well into the six figures," Warwick Sabin, CEO and president of Deep South Today, told E&P.

A new study found a long-term shift in cancer death trends, with rural areas facing higher cancer death rates than urban areas in recent years, reports Dennis Thompson for U.S. News & World Report. Previously, between 1969 and 1971, “large cities had the highest overall cancer death rates, followed by small- to medium-sized cities.” However, rural areas had the highest rates in 2021 to 2023, and large cities had the lowest rates. Specifically, lung cancer deaths among rural men were 26% lower than city dwellers in 1969 to 1971, but 55% higher in 2021 to 2023. Researchers said the shift and continuously widening gap is “likely driven by limited access to health care, lower cancer screening rates, higher poverty, more smoking and other lifestyle and environmental factors” in rural communities.

In a new social experiment by Matter Neuroscience, two old payphones set up at a nursing home in Nevada and near Boston University allow "zoomers" and "boomers" to call each other from 3,000 miles apart, reports Scottie Andrew for CNN. Designed to help people feel less lonely, this pilot project will last at least a month, according to Matter Neuroscience. "Friendship could come in all ages. Wisdom can come in all forms, and we just want people to get out of their comfort zone and have a conversation," Matter Neuroscience social strategist Calla Kessler said.

GM announced it will be adding a day of factory
production to it heavy-duty truck line. 

General Motors is increasing its heavy-duty truck production, as consumer demand remains strong despite rising gas and diesel prices, reports Christopher Otts for The Wall Street Journal. GM's Flint Assembly plant in Michigan will operate six days a week now, rather than five, producing more heavy-duty versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, Otts reports. Workers will be "mandated into overtime hours to cover the additional day of production," explains Otts. As gas prices have risen by about one-third since the beginning of the Iran war, GM's stock has declined about 10% so far this year, and forecasters predict new-vehicle sales to fall 6.5% in the first quarter.

Whole and 2% milk will return to public school lunchrooms soon

Like most school children, dairy cows love to eat.
(Adobe Stock photo)

After more than a decade of advocacy, whole and 2% milk will be served in public school cafeterias. "Congress has approved the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, marking a major shift in federal school nutrition policy," reports Taylor Leach of Dairy Herd Management. "The bill now awaits the president’s signature, with implementation expected as early as the next school year."

The new legislation reverses rules from the 2012 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which aimed to reduce childhood obesity and lower kids' saturated fat intake by restricting school milk options to fat-free and 1%. The bill aimed for students to get the nutrition milk provides without the fat. 

And while the 2012 change was meant to improve children's health, it kept running into a major obstacle. "At home, many kids drink 2% or whole milk. And when the milk at school tastes different, the kids don’t drink it," reports Hannah Barthels of Farm Journal. "And they miss out on the nutrients dairy provides."

Multiple studies on whole milk's impact on childhood obesity have consistently shown that "milk fat has a neutral or even positive effect on health outcomes," Leach explains. "That evolving science, combined with changing consumer preferences, helped build bipartisan support for restoring flexibility in school milk offerings."

The addition of whole and 2% milk offerings in schools is also a big win for American dairy farmers. "School meal programs account for nearly 8% of all fluid milk sales," Leach reports. "The bill’s passage represents the culmination of more than a decade of effort by dairy advocates, lawmakers and industry stakeholders."

Quick hits: Cold Case Card Deck to solve crimes; USPS podcast; Walmart's new milk plant; states snip SNAP snacks

Maine State Police hope their card deck 
will generate tips on unsolved cases. 
(Maine State Police photo via Midcoast Villager)

The Maine State Police are launching a Cold Case Deck of Cards initiative to generate leads for unsolved cases. "The deck features 52 of Maine State Police’s unsolved homicides and suspicious missing person cases and will be distributed to inmates in correctional facilities across the state," reports Jim Leonard of the Midcoast Villager. "This marks the first time the concept has been implemented in Maine. Similar initiatives in more than two dozen states have been credited with helping solve multiple homicide investigations."

Just because cranberries are tart doesn't mean they require a ton of sugar to become tasty. "Diabetics or anyone who wants to reduce the added sugars they’re consuming can try a few culinary tactics to lower their sugar intake while still enjoying this holiday treat," writes food scientist Rosemary Trout for The Conversation. "Don’t cook your cranberries much longer after they pop. You’ll still have a viscous cranberry liquid without the need for as much sugar. … For a richer flavor and a glossy quality, add butter. … Adding chopped walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts can slow glucose absorption, so your blood glucose may not spike as quickly."

In a tribute to snail mail and history buffs, a new podcast, "People of Agency," offers listening excursions into "the stories of individuals who have shaped USPS over its 250-year history," reports Sean Michael Newhouse of Government Executive. The show is co-created and co-hosted by Aileen Day, a political communications consultant, and Maia Warner-Langenbahn, who co-hosts the "Well, I Laughed" podcast. In the show's first episode, the duo recount the story of Mary Katherine Goddard, who was "put in charge of Baltimore’s mail in 1775 and printed the first copy of the Declaration of Independence that listed all of its signatories."

In a bid to have more control over production and supply, Walmart recently opened its "second U.S.-owned milk processing facility in Valdosta, Ga., a $350-million plant supplying milk to more than 650 Southeast stores," reports Taylor Leach of Dairy Herd. While the company does purchase milk from local farmers, "some critics have warned Walmart buys milk from only a handful of large farms, putting smaller farms under further pressure. … The opening also follows Walmart’s recent investments in case-ready beef plants in Thomasville, Ga., and Olathe, Kansas."

Shaking your real Christmas tree before bringing it 
into your home can keep bugs from coming inside.

The holidays can be full of surprises, but discovering six-legged stowaways in your freshly cut Christmas tree shouldn't be one of them. "Bringing a real Christmas tree into your warm living room can accidentally wake up thousands of dormant bugs, turning your cozy holiday into a surprise visit from nature," reports Jenn Jordan of The Weather Channel. To prevent insect or spider visitors from entering your home, while your tree is still outside, give it more than one seriously hard shake. Many tree farms use mechanical shakers, which can also do the trick.

From the bubonic plague to cholera pandemics to deadly staph infections, bacterial illnesses often pose one of the biggest challenges to human survival. But with innovation, microorganisms can also help humans do remarkable things. "In the boulder-strewn desert east of Tucson, Arizona, miners are using sulfuric acid and bacteria to bring online the first new U.S. copper production in more than a decade," reports Ryan Dezember of The Wall Street Journal. Advances in technology are key to how this copper is mined. The enterprise uses "microbes to strip copper from ores that are otherwise uneconomical to mine." The Grand Canyon's state motto just happens to be Ditat Deus, which is Latin for "God Enriches." Last year, 70% of U.S. copper came from Arizona.

A total of 18 states have banned some non-nutritious foods from SNAP purchases. 
(Axios graph, from USDA data)

More states are restricting junk food purchases with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to increase the federal funding they receive. "Six more states agreed to ban the use of SNAP benefits for junk food under new deals with the Trump administration," reports April Rubin of Axios. "The new waivers restrict the purchase of non-nutritious items like soda, energy drinks, certain juices, prepared desserts and candy." While which foods and drinks are restricted varies by state, all states with added nutritional restrictions will all receive more federal dollars to support their SNAP programs.

Whole milk consumption shakes up U.S. dairy expectations -- only the second increase since the 1970s

Whole milk sales increased 3.2%
in 2024. (Adobe Stock photo)

After two decades of soy, almond and oat milk sipping away at cow milk dominance, U.S. consumers have turned back to an old staple. "In 2024, U.S. consumption of whole milk rose by 3.2 % — only the second increase since the 1970s," reports Julia Moskin of The New York Times. "Consumption of plant milk fell 5.9%."

U.S. consumers' views about where cow milk fits in -- or doesn't -- in the American diet have vacillated from a nutritional staple to one of many "milk" options. Last year's sales increase marks another shift. Marketing dairy expert John Crawford told the Times, "For dairy milk to be growing at all is surprising, much less by these numbers. . . .This reverses trends that have been in place for decades.”

Consumers choosing whole cow milk again is likely a combination of cultural and nutritional changes. Ten years ago, white cow's milk was considered boring and soy milk was a Starbucks darling. Times have changed. In 2025, a movie scene featuring Nicole Kidman gets an electric "jolt" when Kidman downs a glass of white milk in a cocktail bar. Moskin adds, "Other consumers have taken issue with plant-based milk's long ingredient lists. . . which health-conscious and science-skeptical Americans are learning to avoid."

Some Gen Zers are trying whole milk for the first time, with some taking to social media to share their discovery. "Peggy Xu used to post wide-ranging food content on TikTok, but it was only once she began drinking whole milk on camera that her following took off. . . . She has had to explain [milk] basics to her viewers," Moskin reports. Xu told her, "People were so curious. They don’t know what milk is anymore.”

Drinking raw milk can cause humans to contract diseases and infections, but the risks may not tell the full story

Maybe raw milk offers something unique.
(Photo by E. Aceron, Unsplash)

Despite raw milk's popularity with some consumers, many dairy experts warn against consuming raw milk products because of bacteria and disease risks. Raw milk proponents believe the benefits of raw milk products outweigh the concerns, reports Moises Velasquez-Manoff of The New York Times. "Should we take them more seriously?"

The U.S. raw milk movement began decades ago in "small, independent health-food stores," Velasquez-Manoff explains. The pandemic heightened interest in raw milk's benefits. "Mark McAfee, who heads Raw Farm in California, told me during the pandemic, people felt abandoned by medical professionals and began researching ways to care for their own immune systems. Many turned to raw milk, which he calls 'the first food of life.'"

Twenty-five years ago, when McAfee started selling raw milk, his customers were mostly "hippie 'nut-and-berry moms' and natural foodies, as he puts it. . . But as his sales have grown — about 30-fold since then, he estimates — his customers have diversified," Velasquez-Manoff explains. Today’s raw milk consumers come from vastly different backgrounds, with reasons for buying raw milk that range from political freedom to nutritional miracles.

American scientists and food nutrition experts have continually warned against drinking unpasteurized dairy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "unpasteurized dairy products are 840 times as likely as their pasteurized counterparts to lead to infection and illness," Velasquez-Manoff reports. The CDC's list of possible adverse health outcomes includes: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter.

But raw milk research isn't all about potential diseases humans could contract. In fact, recent studies suggest some positive preventative health benefits raw milk consumption might offer. Velasquez-Manoff writes, "There is also a wealth of epidemiological research, most of it from Europe, that suggests that drinking raw milk early in life can protect against the development of asthma and allergies later. . . . The basic notion animating the raw-milk movement — that something good and healthful is lost during processing — may have some validity to it."

While the health risks involved in raw milk consumption lead many dairy experts to adamantly push against drinking it, European studies might point the way toward resolving "what is often called the allergy epidemic," Velasquez-Manoff adds. "Scientists think that if they can identify what’s special about raw milk, and preserve it through treatment that makes it safe, maybe they can turn a widely consumed foodstuff into a powerful tool of preventive medicine."

USDA orders testing of raw milk for bird flu to begin on Dec. 16. Testing is 'precautionary' and will aid virus containment

Mandatory milk testing will begin in six states
on Dec. 16. (Adobe Stock photo)

The Department of Agriculture has expanded its response to bird flu infections in U.S. dairy herds by ordering milk testing to begin on Dec. 16 -- "a step public health experts have clamored for following the detection of the H5N1 virus in U.S. dairy herds for the first time this spring," report Mark Johnson and Sabrina Malhiof The Washington Post. "The mandatory testing system is designed to identify which states and specific herds have been affected by the H5N1 virus." 

California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania will be the first states to roll out mandated testing. The Post reports, "An industry representative in Pennsylvania, which ranks second in the nation for the number of dairy farms, said monitoring efforts are precautionary. No cases of H5N1 have been detected in the state’s dairy herds to date." So far, H5N1 infections have been reported in 720 herds in 15 states.

The mandate includes raw milk testing by "dairy farms, bulk milk transporters, milk transfer stations and dairy processing facilities," Johnson and Malhiof explain. "Herd owners whose cattle test positive for the virus must provide information for contact tracing and disease surveillance. Private laboratories and state veterinarians must report all milk that tests positive to the USDA."

Overall, dairy farmers and processors "have been reluctant to test animals or milk for the virus as they fear economic or other repercussions," reports Rachel Dobkin of Newsweek. However, as the virus spread, some farmer sentiments have changed. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, told Dobkin,"It's another step in the right direction. They're coming around that we need a better handle on it."

Health officials maintain that "the risk to people from bird flu remains low, and pasteurization kills the virus in milk, making it safe to drink," Dobkin adds. "Federal officials continue to warn against drinking raw milk."

Piles of dead dairy cows in California show an industry that wasn't prepared for H5N1 bird flu's aggressive spread

H5N1 can be more deadly for younger cows.
(Adobe Stock photo)

After the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected in California in August, the virus spread aggressively and has infected at least 124 dairy herds and 13 dairy workers, reports Susanne Rust of the Los Angeles Times. "And according to dairy experts, the spread of the virus has yet to abate." The virus has killed dairy cattle at an "unexpected rate," which has left some dairies with roadside piles of dead cows awaiting rendering service pickup.

While roadside patches of dead cows are grisly, John Korslund, a retired Department of Agriculture veterinarian epidemiologist, said "there was probably very little risk to public health in having the animals piled up," because the virus doesn't last long in a carcass. 

Anja Raudabaugh, chief executive of Western United Dairies, "said although the dairy farmers she represents had been reading about the virus for months before it hit, no one was prepared for the devastation and unevenness with which the virus has struck California’s dairy herds," Rust reports. "She said on some farms, the cows seem virtually unaffected, despite being infected. While on others, the animals are dying in droves."

The virus' biggest toll has been on younger dairy cows, but farmers are doing what they can to keep them alive. Raudabaugh told Rust, “given the extreme rearing and raising and just expenses that go into raising these animals, there’s hope that on the other side of the virus, they will come back into production that’s sustainable for the farmer. So it’s definitely a last resort if they are culling them.”

Dairy farmers are concerned that even if a cows survive the virus, their milk production could indefinitely decrease. Rust reports, "The Department of Agriculture has a program to pay back farmers for production loss due to the virus. The program covers the three weeks of production lost by a cow when it is removed from the milking herd to recover, as well as the seven days afterward when production is still low." There is no protection for permanent production loss.

The USDA has worked to entice dairy farmers to allow bird flu testing; anonymous testing is the latest pitch

Dairy farming is expensive and labor intensive. Cows have to be
milked twice a day. (Wisconsin Dairy photo)

Department of Agriculture scientists want to sample U.S. dairy herds for bird flu infections, but many dairy farmers won't allow testing. As a workaround, the USDA is suggesting anonymized testing, reports Tina Reed of Axios. "Many farmers are refusing to test their herds, fearing the economic consequences, while concern builds that the relatively benign virus could morph into a much bigger risk to humans."

Ashish Jha, who is dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, is among a small group of public health officials who would like universities to work with dairy farmers to facilitate herd testing. Reed explains, "Results from individual farms would be anonymized and sent to the USDA to offer snapshots about disease spread and how the virus is mutating, Jha said. . . . The idea has limitations, starting with the difficulty of zeroing in and addressing transmission at the source, experts said."

To date, the USDA has documented 140 U.S. herds across 12 states that have been affected by bird flu, or H5N1. "But prevalence is thought to be higher because many farmers are refusing to test," Reed reports. "Positive tests could be 'financially ruinous' for farms and individual workers, while the consequences of not testing so far appear to be limited to mild illness that can be treated with antivirals, Jha said." Jha told Axios: "It's not really clear for [dairy farmers] why they should engage."

But testing herds isn't the only method to assess bird flu's prevalence in dairy cows. Reed writes, "Another way of getting a better picture of bird flu activity in an anonymized way would be through the use of what's known as market basket surveys, Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota told Axios. . . The surveys, which have been used in Europe and Canada during this outbreak, are routine scans of pasteurized milk samples for traces of inactivated virus."

Osterholm told Reed, "The movement of milk is very, very closely monitored. While a sample couldn't necessarily be traced back to a specific farm, it could get close. It could give us a sense if there are certain areas of activity."

Drinking raw milk might have a cult following, but it contains harmful pathogens that make people sick

Pasteurized cow's milk is safe and nutritious
to consume. (Photo by Suvrajit, Unsplash)

Advocates may tout raw milk as nutritionally superior to pasteurized milk, but little research supports their claim. The risks involved in raw milk consumption outweigh any possible benefits, write Juan Silva, Joel Komakech and Mandy Conrad for The Conversation, a journalistic platform for academics. "Despite an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows, the popularity of raw milk has only risen. . . . Since cattle can shed viral material into their milk, not only can pathogens end up in milk, but at least three farmworkers reportedly contracted H5N1. . . . Farmworkers can get sick by handling infected animals or their byproducts, such as raw milk." 

Below are the authors' slightly edited answers to questions about pasteurized and raw milk. 

What is pasteurization? Does it destroy nutrients?
Pasteurization uses heat to kill harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and parasites. The process "reduces the total number of microorganisms in the product and also inactivates enzymes that could contribute to spoilage. . . . The taste, nutritional value and quality of pasteurized products aren’t significantly affected by the process."

Is raw milk healthier? No. There is little science behind this idea:

• Raw milk does not improve lactose intolerance.
• Raw milk also does not have more vitamins than pasteurized milk.
• Vitamin D is added to pasteurized milk to enhance your body’s ability to absorb the calcium in milk.
• Raw milk is generally lacking in probiotics and has significantly more harmful bacteria.
• Raw milk does not help consumers "gain" H5N1 immunity. No scientific evidence supports that drinking raw milk can improve immunity against disease.

Can consuming raw milk make someone sick? Yes. Unpasteurized milk can contain harmful microorganisms: "Raw milk has been associated with hundreds of foodborne disease outbreaks. . . . A number of outbreaks and recalls related to pathogens in raw milk have already occurred in 2024. In all cases, pathogens in the raw milk that cause human diseases were directly responsible for these illnesses. . . . Some illnesses from the pathogens in raw milk can have serious long-term effects, including paralysis, kidney failure and death."

Is eating products such as cheese or yogurt made with raw milk safe? No. "Only products that undergo a process to inhibit or kill harmful microorganisms may be safe enough to be made from unpasteurized milk. However, the potential for cross-contamination of raw and cooked food as well as the survival of pathogens from inadequate processing is high when products are made with raw milk."

Can pasteurized milk cause illness? "The few reported outbreaks associated with pasteurized milk can be traced to contamination after pasteurization. When handled properly, pasteurized milk is a very safe product."

Final thoughts? Drinking raw milk that contains H5N1 can make a person sick and help the virus evolve into something more dangerous. "People who contract bird flu from raw milk run the risk of transmitting it to other people or animals by giving the virus a chance to adapt and improve its ability to spread between people. This increases the risk of more widespread disease outbreaks."

The bird flu, H5N1, infected dairy cows, and now fragments of the virus have been found in retail milk supplies

Most cows recover from H5N1 infections.
(Adobe Stock photo)

When remnants of the bird flu virus started showing up in U.S. retail milk supplies, dairy farmers and scientists were surprised. Now they are looking at how the virus affects cows and what its presence in drinking milk might mean for public health. "Colorado became the latest state to detect the bird flu virus spreading in dairy cattle. It follows revelations that viral fragments are turning up in retail milk," reports Will Stone for NPR. "Scientists don't view this as an immediate threat to human health. Genetic material is not the same as infectious virus, and pasteurization is expected to inactivate the virus in milk."

While the disease, also known as H5N1, is deadly to birds and some marine life, most infected dairy cows recover from bouts of bird flu. "The disease is primarily affecting older cows, which have developed symptoms that include a loss of appetite, a low-grade fever and a significant drop in milk production," report Emily Anthes and Apoorva Mandavilli of The New York Times. To treat infected cows, the Centers for Disease Control told farmers that "antiviral medications used against the seasonal flu would be effective against the H5N1 bird flu virus," reports Chuck Abbott of Successful Farming.

It's difficult for scientists to know how many cows were or are infected because, until recently, cows weren't considered at risk. Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, told Stone, "The fact that viral material is now being found in retail milk suggests this virus is probably spread around quite a bit." The fact that cows can have the disease but have no symptoms will make tracking its spread difficult. Stone reports, "Some unknown number of cattle could be shedding the virus without showing obvious symptoms. Federal health officials have confirmed this."

Does retail milk contains the infectious virus? "So far, it doesn't appear that way, but scientists who are studying this possibility acknowledge it's too soon to say that with absolute certainty," Stone explains. Lee-Ann Jaykus, a food microbiologist at North Carolina State University, told him, "There's evidence that the milk at one point in time may have had virus associated with it, but there is no evidence that that virus would be infectious, at least with the information we currently have."

"Jaykus and other scientists agree that finding viral material doesn't necessarily suggest an immediate threat to human health," Stone writes. "There is an important caveat though: There has been no direct research on how pasteurizing cow milk affects bird flu virus. Those studies are taking place right now."

When it comes to retail beef, the U.S. government is "collecting samples of ground beef at retail stores in states with outbreaks of bird flu in dairy cows for testing," reports Tom Polansek of Reuters. "But it remains confident the meat supply is safe. . . .The Department of Agriculture will analyze retail ground beef samples with PCR tests that indicate 'whether any viral particles are present,' and conduct two other safety studies, according to a statement. Some dairy cows are processed into ground beef when they grow old."

U.S. dairy herd growth hits a 22-year low; breeding for beef operations offers significantly higher profit margin

Amid worldwide cheese and beef consumption increases, there's a hiccup in the American supply chain -- beef production is hampering dairy growth because there aren't enough heifers. "Dairy herd expansion is unlikely to occur quickly as the beef industry continues to bid up for young stock and dairy heifers remain in short supply," reports Fran Howard of the Daily Herd. "Dairy producers can make more money breeding for beef operations than they can producing heifers for their own farms or their neighbor's operation, according to Sarina Sharp, an analyst with the Daily Dairy Report."

Dairy producers profit from raising crossbred bull calves.
(Photo by Maureen Hanson via Dairy Herd)

The profit margins on livestock reflect the shortage. Howard reports, "At a late-January livestock auction in New Holland, Pennsylvania, cattle feeders paid an average of just over $414 for newborn Holstein bull calves, the highest price in eight years. But dairy-beef crossbred calves brought a whopping $675/head at the same auction, and crossbred heifer calves commanded a similar price."

For dairy-cattle producers, the profit difference is dramatic. Sharp told Howard, "If this margin holds, a 1,000-cow dairy that produces crossbred bull calves can expect to earn about $100,000 more in 2024 than it would selling Holstein bull calves. High beef calf prices are sending a clear signal to the dairy industry to make more beef calves and fewer dairy heifers. And the industry is listening."

The Department of Agriculture estimated that on Jan. 1, there were 4.059 million dairy heifers. "While that was only a 0.35% drop from 2023's steep decline, the decline still marks the smallest heifer inventory in 20 years, according to Sharp's calculations," Howard explains. "Sharp noted that just 2.59 million heifers are likely to calve and enter the dairy herd in 2024, by far the lowest inventory in USDA's 22 years of projections."

Sharp told Howard, "Waning heifer inventories will ensure that growth in the U.S. dairy herd will be slow and costly. If the industry develops an appetite to expand, already lofty heifer values will shoot upward, raising the cost of filling a new barn. The increasing popularity of crossbreeding suggests that the heifer shortage will continue for years, reducing how quickly the industry can respond to high milk prices." 

What is milk? The heated debate between labeling animal and plant 'milk' continues with spoofs and a Muppet

'Got milk?' ad campaigns poke fun at their competitions'
claims. (California Milk Processor Board photo)

Got milk? The question is still a dairy ad slogan, but it's also a part of a contentious debate. "A flood of plant-based milk alternatives — almond, oat, coconut, rice, flax, hemp and soy — has set off an aggressive defense by dairy milk producers," reports Kristina Peterson of The Wall Street Journal. "Milk producers and their allies are lobbying to scrub 'milk' off the labels of plant-based rivals. Their position is: If it doesn't come from a lactating animal, it isn't milk."

As part of their campaign, animal milk producers have deployed an array of spoofs to point out what milk is. In one mockumentary-style video, an actress looks at a tree and asks, "Can I drink this?" Peterson writes, "As it turns out, the answer is yes, she says before taking a stomach-turning sip. The video, which collected 5.7 million views, is among several from the Milk Processor Education Program, an industry-funded group known as MilkPep."

Cookie Monster gives soy a try and declares it
'yumyumyum.' (Photo via PR Newswire)

Plant-based milk companies have their own arsenal of promoters, including one of America's most beloved snack lovers. Peterson reports, "Califia Farms recruited Cookie Monster, the blue-furred 'Sesame Street' Muppet, to try almond milk in his cereal for an ad. No surprise, the celebrity milk dunker liked it, calling himself a 'multifaceted individual.'"

Over the years, plant-based milk has chipped away at animal-based dairy profits, but both face stiff market competition. "Sales of plant-based milk, measured by dollars, have grown 48% since 2018 but edged down in the past year," Peterson explains. "The two rivals also face a tsunami of bottled-, canned- and boxed-water competitors — all vying to fill a limited niche."

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration proposed that "plant-based beverages could still be called milk but should carry labels that explain the nutritional differences with cow's milk," Peterson reports. Neither side was happy with the FDA's compromise. Almond growers growled that their customers weren't confused about the differences between the two products. The Almond Alliance, a trade group, told the FDA that "historians have traced almond milk to medieval times, dispelling any notion it originated in an artisanal coffee joint."

Animal dairy producers have asked lawmakers to intervene by "prohibiting any food made of nuts, seeds, plants or algae from using such dairy terms as milk or cheese," Peterson writes. Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, a state where dairy dominates the agricultural sector, is a sponsor of the bill. Simpson told the Journal, "I'm not trying to restrict what you can drink. Just label it what it is. I got no problem with almond 'drink.'"

As more Americans chose to eat more cheese, farmers look for ways to increase milk fat content

Jersey cows produce milk that is high in butterfat and
has a golden hue. (Wis. Jersey Breeders Association photo)

What's better than cheese? More cheese. That's what many Americans are telling the U.S. dairy industry. But heightened demand for rich-tasting young gouda and spunky blue cheese comes with a catch -- dairy farmers need their cows to produce fattier milk, reports Kirk Maltais of The Wall Street Journal. "Just five years ago, dairy farmer Melvin Medeiros said his herd consisted entirely of Holsteins, which are the black-and-white spotted cows. . . . Now about 70% are brown Jersey cows, which are smaller but produce a fattier milk."

In dairy-producing states such as Wisconsin and Vermont, loving cheese is threaded throughout the culture, but the rest of the country is catching on. "Cheese consumption is at an all-time high, with Americans eating an average of 42 pounds a year in 2022, according to the most recent data available from the Department of Agriculture," Maltais writes. "That is up 17% over the previous decade." Although butter sales declined in 2022, consumption is still up 9% compared to a decade ago. 

Beyond switching cow breeds, what else can farmers do to "squeeze" fattier milk from their herd? It comes down to keeping cows comfortable and providing a richer diet. "Cross-ventilated barns ensure animals don't get too hot," Maltais explains. "Keeping cows cool helps them get fatter — and produce fattier milk. Medeiros adds oilseeds like cottonseed and canola to their feed."

Michael Hutjens, professor emeritus of animal sciences with the University of Illinois, told Maltais, "We're seeing a lot more money invested in fans and sprinklers." Maltais reports: "Hutjens said breeding and genetics could help push up fat levels in milk even more."

Santa might get whole milk for Christmas, but students will not; one U.S. senator stymies the bill

The battle over whole milk in public schools
will continue. (Canva photo via Farm Journal)

U.S. dairy just got a promotion followed by a demotion. The U.S. House of Representatives "overwhelmingly voted in support of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act," reports Taylor Leach of Farm Journal. "The bill revises the requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program of the Department of Agriculture and permits schools to offer students whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk." That was good news for the dairy industry, but once the bill got to the Senate floor, it stalled.

Whole milk and reduced-fat milk were banned from school menus in 2012, a decision the USDA based on "the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans available at the time," Leach writes. "The update included restricting school milk choices to unflavored low-fat, flavored fat-free and unflavored fat-free. Milk consumption in schools dropped significantly as a result."

Seeking to broaden dairy offerings, in 2017, the USDA changed its original decision and "allowed exemptions to school nutrition standards so they could serve flavored low-fat (1%) milk," Leach reports. "USDA implemented those standards, which were in place when the pandemic hit, and continued allowing flexibility in the program to ensure schools could offer nutritious meals amid pandemic-related supply chain issues."

After the bill's House victory, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall tried to get "unanimous consent on the Senate floor. . . He began his speech drinking a glass of whole milk," reports Chris Clayton of Progressive Farmer. "The senator pointed out that water and milk are the only drinks allowed on the U.S. Senate floor. . . . But his effort was quickly thwarted by the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee chairwoman, Sen. Debbie Stabenow."

"Stabenow said she supports the dairy industry and called the debate on whole milk 'a really important conversation,'" Clayton writes. "Still, Stabenow indicated government policy over school meals shouldn't come down to which commodity garners support among lawmakers. . . . Stabenow added USDA is in the process of updating school-meal standards." Stabenow told the floor: "Intervening in that process, I think, creates a very unfortunate precedent and will lead to other ideas and options that may be coming forward about individual products."

Since the 2012 ban, the dairy industry has used research to debunk whole milk's "unhealthy" reputation, but the ban has remained. This year, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are being updated for 2025 release, and milkfat research is under scrutiny. Alice Callahan of the New York Times recently discussed milkfat research outcomes with Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Tufts University. She reported: "Most studies on the health effects of dairy fat have failed to find any benefits of prioritizing low-fat versions over whole, Mozaffarian said, noting that what seems to be more important than the level of fat is which dairy product you choose in the first place."

Full-fat milk may not pose health risks; new studies show the type of dairy is more important than fat content

A rainbow of cap-colors indicating varied milk-fat content is
available at U.S. grocery stores. (Photo by Bobbi Lin, NYT)

Experts have touted the health benefits of low-fat dairy products for decades -- they had all the nutrition without the saturated fats most people should avoid. However, new studies suggest this advice may need to be revised. "That guidance goes back to 1980, when the first edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was published, according to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Tufts University," reports Alice Callahan of The New York Times. "And since then, most studies on the health effects of dairy fat have failed to find any benefits of prioritizing low-fat versions over whole, Mozaffarian said, noting that what seems to be more important than the level of fat is which dairy product you choose in the first place."

Longitudinal studies show that dairy consumption has health benefits, and choosing higher-fat dairy products is not harmful. "In one study published in 2018, researchers followed 136,000 adults from 21 countries for nine years," Callahan reports. "They found that, during the study period, those who consumed two or more servings of dairy per day were 22 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 17 percent less likely to die than those who consumed no dairy at all. Notably, those who consumed higher levels of saturated fat from dairy were not more likely to develop heart disease or die."

Harder cheese may be healthier to eat than softer
offerings. (Harvard Health blog photo)

While these studies are not clinical trials, "shorter-term trials have shown that consuming dairy products, including full-fat dairy, lowered the blood pressure of participants and did not increase weight or raise levels of LDL, or 'bad cholesterol' — again suggesting that dairy fat is not harmful to heart health," Callahan explains. Marie-Caroline Michalski, a research director at the French National Research Institute, noted that yogurt and cheese "appear to be most associated with health benefits. . . . harder cheeses like Cheddar and Parmesan also seem to result in a more gradual absorption of fats into the blood than softer cheeses and butter, which can help you feel fuller longer."

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be out in 2025. In September, Roberta Wagner, senior vice president for regulatory and scientific affairs with the International Dairy Foods Association, "provided oral testimony to the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee — a panel of 20 nutrition and public health experts tasked with providing a scientific report to inform the federal government's next update to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans," the IDFA's website says. Wagner's testimony "stressed that 90 percent of Americans do not consume enough dairy to meet dietary recommendations, according to the 2020-2025 DGA report. Wagner urged the committee to maintain nutrient-rich dairy foods as a central part of a healthy diet, and she stressed that new science shows that limiting dairy based on fat level — as current guidelines recommend—does not lead to better health outcomes."

We got the milk, but where's the carton? Dairy farmers face an unexpected dilemma.

The USDA requires milk offerings at
breakfast and lunch. (American Dairy photo)

America's dairy industry has a new problem -- not enough 4 oz. cartons to put the milk in before shipping it to "care homes, hospitals, prisons, cruise ships and schools," reports The Economist. "School districts are scrambling." The Department of Agriculture "requires milk to be offered at school during breakfast and lunch. . . . For some pupils, school is the only place they receive dairy food. Districts are reimbursed for each half-pint of milk offered to pupils at low or no cost. Milk can arrive in schools as quickly as 72 hours after leaving the farm."

How did this happen? Dairy supplier Cream-O-Land and other dairy suppliers source their cartons from Pactiv Evergreen. The company "blames higher-than-usual demand. Dairies use the summer to stock up. This supposedly did not happen this year," The Economist reports. "Dairies disagree, seeing no changes in demand or inventory. Other packaging firms are busy because Pactiv Evergreen's customers are begging for cartons."

Because schools and other businesses are required to serve milk, the USDA and many states relaxed some of their requirements. "Schools can now serve milk out of jugs. Districts are stocking up on cups and lids. Some schools are offering juice," The Economist adds. "To fix things, Pactiv Evergreen says it has upped its output. It has also resurrected a defunct generic brand and will use its design for all cartons, rather than interrupting the line to change logos. This should speed production and increase capacity by 10%. Shipments are expected to begin in early December."

Meanwhile, the U.S. dairy industry is already facing declining sales due to competition from plant-based "milks." Not having enough cartons was yet another challenge. Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN reports, "To help ease the burden on schools — and dissuade them from turning to non-milk alternatives — the American Dairy Association North East issued tips to dairy suppliers, suggesting that they offer to help pour milk themselves, donate cups or spearhead a cup donation drive, among other solutions."

What is milk? Experts have lots of answers, none very clear; infant formula lacks what has evolved over millions of years

Explaining mammalian milk seems impossible.
(Photo by Marcel Christ, Gallery Stock via The Atlantic)

It's much easier to answer the question "Where's the beef?" than "What is milk?"

Milk is a mystery. "No one can really describe what milk is—least of all the people who think most often about it," reports Katherine J. Wu of The Atlantic. "They can describe, mostly, who makes it: mammals (though arguably also some other animals that feed their young secretions from their throat or skin). They can describe, mostly, where it comes from: mammary glands . . . They can even describe, mostly, what milk does: nourish, protect, and exchange chemical signals with infants to support development and growth."

“It’s the defining feature of mammals,” University of Washington anthropologist Melanie Martin told Wu, who begins her story this way: "If an alien life form landed on Earth tomorrow and called up some of the planet’s foremost experts on lactation, it would have a heck of a time figuring out what, exactly, humans and other mammals are feeding their kids," Wu writes. The composition of milk is elusive; from nutritionists and academics Wu got such vague descriptorsas "ecological system," "nutritional instrument, and "the result of the evolutionary selective pressure on a unique feeding strategy." 

 . . . None of these characterizations were bad. But had I been that alien, I would have no idea what these people were talking about."

Mammalian milk is unique, Wu writes:"Millions of years of evolutionary tinkering that have turned it into a diet, and a developmental stimulus, and a conduit for maternal-infant communication, and a passive vaccine. It builds organs, fine-tunes metabolism, and calibrates immunity. . . . Among some primates, it influences infants’ playfulness and may shape their sleep habits and bias them toward certain foods. Some of its ingredients are found nowhere else in nature; others are indigestible. Still, others are alive."

And few things are as adaptive as mammals' milk. "It remodels in the hours, days, weeks, and months after birth; it changes from the beginning of a single stint of feeding to the end," Wu reports. "Human milk—like other primate milk—is on the watery, sugary side. But its concentrations of immunity-promoting ingredients have no comparator. It bustles with defensive cells; it shuttles a stream of antibodies from mother to young, at levels that in some cases outstrip those of other great apes’ milk by a factor of at least 10. . . . The sheer defensive firepower in our species’ milk is probably a glimpse into the challenges in our past, as humans crowded together to plant, fertilize, and harvest mass quantities of food and invited domesticated creatures into our jam-packed homes."

We know all that, but "We don’t actually know that much about milk," such as its normal values in humans, E. A. Quinn, an anthropologist at Washington University, told Wu, who writes, "Milk’s enduring enigmas don’t just pose an academic puzzle. They also present a frustrating target—simultaneously hazy and mobile—for infant formulas that billions of people rely on as a supplement or substitute." Martin told her, "No human recipe can replicate what has evolved" over hundreds of millions of years.

Infant formula does "the nourish part really well. . . . The protect and communicate part is where we start to fall short,” University of Rochester infant-nutrition researcher Bridget Young told Wu, who writes: "Differences in health outcomes for breastfed and formula-fed infants, though they’ve shrunk, do still exist: Milk-raised babies have, on average, fewer digestive troubles and infections; later in life, they might be less likely to develop certain metabolic issues."

Wu concludes, "The biggest hurdles in infant feeding nowadays, after all, are more about access than tech. Many people—some of them already at higher risk of poorer health outcomes later in life—end up halting breastfeeding earlier than they intend or want to because it’s financially, socially, or institutionally unsustainable. Those disparities are especially apparent in places such as the U.S., where health care is privatized and paid parental leave and affordable lactation consultants are scarce, and where breastfeeding rates splinter unequally along the lines of race, education, and socioeconomic status." Katie Hinde of Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change told Wu, “Where milk matters the most, breastfeeding tends to be supported the least. If milk is a singular triumph of evolution, a catalyst for and a product of how all mammals came to be, it shouldn’t be relegated to a societal luxury."

School-meals program banned whole and 2% milk in 2012; bill approved by House panel would bring them back

Shutterstock photo

What kind of milk U.S. public schools serve their students can be controversial, and the issue is back with a new player. "A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing to bring a banned substance back to schools: whole milk," reports Kristina Peterson of The Wall Street Journal. "A bill approved Tuesday by the House Education and Workforce Committee in a 26-13 vote would allow schools to offer whole and 2% milk. Supporters, including the dairy industry and more than 100 lawmakers, say that children are more likely to drink milk when it tastes better to them. . . . Opponents say children can get the same nutrients from lower-fat milk while keeping saturated fat in check."

Since 2012, schools participating in the Department of Agriculture's school meals program "haven't been permitted to serve either whole milk—which has 3.25% milk fat—or 2% milk," Peterson writes. "[The restrictions were] intended to align school offerings with the country's dietary guidelines. . . . Those recommendations advise that children over the age of two should consume either nonfat or 1% milk as part of an effort to limit how much saturated fat they consume." Erin Hennessy, a child-nutrition researcher at Tufts University, told Peterson, "For a long time, we lumped all saturated fats together. The story is more complicated than that. . . . People are becoming a little bit more open to the idea of whole milk."

Wall Street Journal Chart, from USDA data

The dairy industry has a vested interest in milk consumption by students. "The push to offer whole milk in schools is part of an effort to ensure that students grow into milk-drinking adults," Peterson reports. "Whole and 2% milk are the most commonly sold varieties, according to the USDA, so students are most used to their taste at home, according to dairy industry officials. . . . Opponents of the milk legislation said lawmakers shouldn't be meddling with the recommendations crafted by nutrition officials. . . . Rep. Kim Schrier (D) of Washington, a pediatrician, said offering additional milk choices is likely to encourage children to choose milk over another, less healthy beverage." Schrier, a co-sponsor of the bill, told Peterson, “I would much rather have children drinking milk, even whole milk, than juice."

Research on dairy's saturated fat is ongoing. "Much of the debate around whole milk centers on the question of whether fat from dairy products is different from saturated fat coming from other foods," Peterson reports. "Some researchers have conducted studies showing that full-fat dairy products haven't led to a higher risk of weight gain in children and may help them feel full more quickly. . . . Some groups, including the nutrition arm of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said there isn't enough evidence yet to overturn the official guidelines."

After 17 years of debate, Iowans will be able to buy raw milk, but health questions remain; 18 other states ban sales

Michael Jennings Photography photo via Des Moines Register

After almost two decades of debate, the Iowa Legislature gave its final approval to allow the sale of raw milk from farm to consumer, reports Donnelle Eller of the Des Moines Register. "Previously passed by the House, it will let producers sell unpasteurized milk to Iowans from their farms, as well as cheese, yogurt, ice cream and other raw milk products. . . . Sen. Jason Schultz was the bill's Senate floor manager; he said that he'd waited 17 years for a raw milk bill to clear the Legislature. . . . Senate Bill 315 goes to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature."

The bill's passage doesn't mean the conflict over raw milk is settled. "Supporters say raw milk tastes better and has more nutrients, while opponents say it can contain bacteria that's dangerous to children and could spark a public health outbreak," Eller writes. "Several major farm organizations, including the Iowa State Dairy Association and Iowa Dairy Foods Association, registered to lobby against the bill. . . . Rep. Megan Srinivas, (D) and Des Moines infectious disease doctor, said last week during the House's debate on the bill that she's concerned children will become ill, with potentially lethal ramifications, if adults give them unpasteurized milk."

The bill sets some limits on where products can be sold along with testing requirements, but Srinivas points out that testing may not prevent illnesses. "Under Senate Bill 315, producers can sell the raw milk and related products from their farms, but not at farmers markets or restaurants. Containers must have labels saying the contents were not subject to state inspections or public health regulations," Eller reports. "It sets a testing requirement of no more than 25,000 colony-forming units, or CFUs, of bacteria per milliliter in raw milk. . . . [the testing] doesn't distinguish between the types of bacteria, Srinivas said, adding that some bacteria are good for people, while others are deadly," Eller reports. Srinivas told her, "If I had 25,000 CFUs of lactobacillus, a very healthy gut bacteria we have in probiotics, growing in my raw milk, I wouldn't be concerned. But if we have even 5,000 or 10,000 colony-forming units of Shigella, that can be lethal."

Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, a farmer who was the bill's House sponsor, said the legislation "allows Iowans to buy raw milk if they want it," Eller writes. Kaufmann said, "We're simply adding this to the list of foods that people can get without Jiminy Cricket, the government, sitting on their shoulder, and whispering what's best for their families." Eller adds, "Iowa is one of 19 states that has prohibited the sale of unpasteurized milk, according to Raw Milk Facts."