Useful Facts

Whether you're speaking in public, talking to the media or answering questions one-on-one, here are some facts about animal health and dairy product safety that can serve as main points.

Dairy Product Safety and Nutrition

• Dairy products are among the most tested and regulated foods in this country.
• American dairy products are among the safest in the world.
• Dairy has long-term health benefits, including helping people build strong bones and teeth.
• Dairy products have been a safe, healthy and important part of the American diet for generations.

 Animal Care

• Dairy cows must be healthy and well cared for in order to produce pure, wholesome milk.
• Dairy farmers take care of their herds by providing a nutritious diet, good medical care and healthy living conditions.
• Dairy farmers recognize that proper animal care practices help lead to the production of high quality milk.

 Animal Cloning

• Based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) current policy, milk and meat from cloned cows is not in the food supply. The FDA is currently reviewing the science.
• Our primary consideration has always been, and will continue to be, that milk and dairy products remain safe and wholesome.
• Americans have a tremendous love for and confidence in dairy products, and we are committed to maintaining that confidence.
• Dairy products have been a safe, healthy and important part of the American diet for generations.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow" disease

• The World Health Organization, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other major health organizations have affirmed and reaffirmed that milk and milk products do not contain or transmit BSE.
• Dairy products are among the most tested and regulated foods in this country.
• American dairy products are among the safest in the world.
• Farmers feed their animals with great planning and care to keep cows healthy and producing optimal amounts of milk.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture is always monitoring for BSE to make sure it is detected, and therefore contained, as soon as possible.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

• Foot-and-mouth disease is an animal disease that does not affect food safety.
• Foot-and-mouth disease has never been transmitted from pasteurized dairy products to humans.
• The U.S. has been free of foot-and-mouth disease since 1929.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture is using aggressive surveillance and prevention measures to keep foot-and-mouth disease out of the United States.
• Farmers, veterinarians and government officials are on the alert for any signs of foot-and-mouth disease.
• Our government has learned from the British experience in responding to foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, as well as ways to prevent the disease from spreading.

Johne's Disease

• Johne's is an animal health issue. There is an expansive industry-wide detection, education and control effort under way in the United States to stop and prevent the spread of Johne's among cattle.
• Research shows that standard pasteurization in the U.S. effectively eliminates Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (known as MAP, the bacteria that causes Johne's) in milk.
• The FDA's position is that pasteurizations is effective in eliminating MAP.
• In 2003, the National Academy of Sciences stated that there is no conclusive evidence that MAP in cows is linked to Crohn's disease in humans and recommended more research on this topic.
• There are many different theories about how people contract Crohn's disease but no one knows for sure; many researchers think there is a strong genetic component.
• Both the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association say that no particular foods cause or contribute to Crohn's disease.