In today’s episode of “As The Dairy Churns,” we go back 50 years as Mom serves her family whole milk and puts the butter dish on the table at every meal. We see Mom turn gray and her children grow into adults. This next generation learns that fat is bad and shops instead for nonfat or low-fat versions of their favorite foods. Now the world turns to the present day, and researchers have concluded that saturated fat in dairy foods and beverages might have a prophylactic effect on heart health. Mom’s granddaughter, now a mother herself, sets the butter dish on the dinner table, and so the dairy churns.
As dairy science has evolved, so have recommendations about what constitutes a healthy diet. Attitudes about salt, sugar, vitamins, protein and portion sizes have changed. Enter the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is revising its rules for food labeling, including nutrition facts and serving sizes.