In an April 3 letter, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and 15 other food and beverage industry groups urged leaders in Congress to provide targeted financial aid to workers in the critical industries as they work to care for, feed and protect Americans through the coronavirus outbreak.

Groups representing dairy cooperatives and farmers in the Midwest today urged the federal government to provide direct assistance to farmers and to expedite the purchase of additional dairy foods amid unprecedented disruptions in supply and demand due to the COVID-19 national emergency.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has upended life as we have known it for most Americans, the U.S. dairy industry — from our farmers to our truckers to our processors and our grocers — has diligently persisted in providing Americans with the safe, nutritious, high-quality dairy products they rely on.

Today’s dairy leaders are redefining what it means to be sustainable businesses by elevating good business practices, developing and implementing transportation and logistics solutions, ensuring the highest standards for animal welfare, and committing to and achieving environmental stewardship throughout their supply chains.

Due to the dynamic nature of information related to coronavirus, the Washington, D.C.-based International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) said it created a webpage to provide members with the most recent updates pertaining to guidance and resources for the dairy industry.

The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA), McLean, Va., said it held its annual meeting on March 5, during which members elected the new FPSA board of directors and Executive Committee.

In a consensus statement, a group of established U.S. and international nutrition scientists, including three former members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, requested the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services give serious and immediate consideration to lifting the limits placed on saturated fat intake for the upcoming 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) said it named Joseph Scimeca, Ph.D., senior vice president, regulatory and scientific affairs.

On Feb. 26, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) said dairy industry leaders from across the country were in Washington, D.C., to urge congressional leaders and appropriators to fund important research, a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) milk incentive pilot program, and dairy standards modernization at the FDA in fiscal year (FY) 2021.

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), Harrisburg, Pa., recently released the “NFRA 2019 State of the Industry Report,” which shows that today's dairy and frozen departments are clearly connecting with shoppers.