Since last April, Global Dairy Platform has been engaged in the strategy of maintaining/ increasing dairy food consumption by improving the health perceptions of milkfat. The first step in delivering a strategic plan was to conduct a baseline review of where we currently stand on dairy fat in relationship to cardiovascular and other disease bio-markers. Through this process, it became clear that a much more detailed review of the current science was required to discover, which, if any, gaps exist and the activities required to fill the gaps. In August, a review identifying the potential gaps in the science was delivered to GDP.

At a milkfat workshop in April, GDP bought together a group of experts who identified four strategic aims:

• Develop quality science to improve milkfat’s image
• Translate the science into motivating external messages
• Increase advocacy to maximise the impact
• Strengthen industry collaboration to increase effectiveness

Since this time, work has been progressing in the following areas:

• to review the science to establish the true relationship between milkfat and LDL cholesterol;
• to examine the relationship between milkfat and metabolic syndrome;
• to develop additional bio-markers and explore the interrelationship between some of the disease bio-markers and protein/carbohydrate content of the diet; and
• to identify potential gaps in scientific knowledge.

Since the scientific review was delivered to GDP in August, in the next stage we will seek agreement on how the gaps in current knowledge can be filled and how the available science can be translated into motivating messages. The strategy from here will be discussed by the original group in a workshop on 20 September, and again at GDP’s Annual Meeting in October.

Both the review and the advice received from the GDP Communication and Scientific Advisory Board point towards the need to demonstrate that the food matrix and the diet macro-nutrient composition (protein, carbohydrate and fat) may impact the response to milkfat consumption as related to heart disease in a different way as compared to other foods. Work in this area could demonstrate that consuming dairy products at adequate levels (i.e. 3 or 4 servings per day) does not negatively impact bio-markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

In addition, we should pursue the acceptance of other bio-markers, such as small dense LDL, HDL and total-cholesterol-to-HDL ratio for CVD risk.  Finally, since milkfat is only 60 percent saturated, the heightening perception of non-saturated fat components of milkfat and their beneficial role in health could also help with the repositioning.