Secretary Rollins (00:00):
First of all, I want to say thank you to all of you for being here today. It's obviously a bit of a toasty, humid day here in Washington, which is normal for July. But for you guys who are all out braving the weather to celebrate today, we're just so grateful. A very special thank you to our Agricultural Marketing Service Dairy Team. Where's our USDA team? Oh, look at those wonderful people over there. Thank you guys. It's kind of like y'all's Super Bowl. Yes, and you guys have won it. I love it.
(00:33)
I'm also so excited to be joined by my dear, dear friend and partner, how about Secretary Bobby Kennedy of HHS? We also have the extraordinary FDA Commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary. Yay, Marty. And then we have some incredible people you'll get to hear, from the actual dairy industry. First, the President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, Michael Dykes. Next, the President of Turkey Hill Dairy, Andy Jacobs, and finally an Indiana dairy farmer, Sam Schwoeppe. So we'll get to hear very briefly from all of these incredible dairy industry and farmers behind me. Please help me welcome them as well.
(01:21)
I really want to say, first and foremost, how grateful we are at the Department of Agriculture to have the opportunity to partner with Secretary Kennedy and his wonderful team to represent the American agricultural community and to work together to improve the health outcomes of our kids and our families. We know that our current health outcomes, especially for our children, are unsustainable, and that American agriculture is at the heart of the solution to make America healthy again.
(01:55)
I don't want to get too far ahead of the big announcement today, but I just want to commend the leadership Michael and the whole team, and everyone you represent at IDFA, and all the dairy farmers and ice cream producers, they represent, for taking on this voluntary proactive effort to eliminate the use of artificial colors in ice cream products by the end of 2027. Because of this historic partnership between USDA and HHS, and I will say it is an unprecedented partnership, but also because of leadership of organizations like IDFA, and again, all the farmers and producers they represent, we are driving meaningful change to make America healthy again.
(02:47)
I also want to acknowledge a lot of other partners, the Consumer Brands Association, Tyson Foods, PepsiCo, J.M. Smucker, Nestle, Hershey, ConAgra Brands, Kraft Heinz, and General Mills, each of which have recently made similar commitments to remove artificial colors from their products. Just last week, the Consumer Brands Association announced a voluntary commitment to encourage the makers of America's food and beverage products to remove certified food, drug, and cosmetic colors from products served in our schools by the start of next year's school year, 2026. The beauty of America is the role that private enterprise has always played, but will continue to play, and perhaps an even bigger role, in voluntarily shaping policies for the good of future generations. Dairy farmers represented by IDFA are certainly embracing that role, and we are just so grateful.
(03:49)
At this time, I'd love to welcome to the podium, again my partner in this very valid, righteous, and incredible effort, please help me welcome Secretary Bobby Kennedy.
Michael Dykes (04:05):
Thank you, Brooke. I am particularly happy to be here today because this is relevant to my favorite food, which is ice cream. And since we came in about five and a half months ago and started talking about eliminating dyes and other bad chemicals from our food, we've had this extraordinary response from the industry. And Brooke just rattled off this inventory, this extraordinary inventory of national corporate food producers have all made commitments to remove food dyes from their food. And with this addition today of the dairymen and the dairy food producers, we now have about 35% of American food industry that has made commitments. And that's between 35 and 40%, and that is in addition to the 35% of the food industry that was already organic and healthy and chemical-free.
(05:21)
Brooke and I have often talked about the fact that we can't make MAHA succeed without the partnership of the American farmer, and our job is to help them to open the doors to make sure that they have adequate resources in their supply chains, and that the approvals for new chemical-free dyes are happening very quickly. And I'm going to bring on Marty Makary in a moment, and he's going to make an amazing announcement today, FDA has approved a new blue vegetable dye in addition to many of the other dyes, the three dyes that we've already rapidly approved over the past two months.
(06:11)
So we are going to be there for the dairy industry. I grew up in a world where milk was the healthiest thing that you could eat. There has been an attack on whole milk and cheese and yogurt over the past couple of decades. And Brooke and I, our agencies, are about to release new dietary guidelines in the next several months that will elevate those products to where they ought to be in terms of contributing to the health of our children. There's a tremendous amount of emerging science that talks about the need for more protein in our diet and more fats in our diet. And there's no industry that does that better than this industry.
(07:04)
So I'm very grateful for this industry for stepping up not only on this, but over the past 10 years, they've removed 60% of the sugar from milk products in school lunches. They've pledged to continue to reduce the amount of sugar in the food. But this step is an extraordinary step, and I'm very proud to be part of this partnership. I'm very, very grateful to the industry. There are many dairymen and women in the audience, and we met with them this morning and it was an amazing meeting with amazing people. And we want to make it so that they're successful and that they can do what they want to do, which is to provide our children with the healthiest food possible.
(07:49)
Now, I want to introduce my friend and my colleague, Marty Makary, and I've already ruined his announcement.
Dr. Makary (07:59):
No,
Dr. Makary (08:00):
So thank you Secretary Kennedy and Secretary Rollins. We wouldn't be here were it not for both of your vision to make this happen. So thank you. And Secretary Rollins, you've been the perfect partner in this.
(08:16)
When we first said we want to remove all nine petroleum-based food dyes from the U.S food supply and do it soon, the naysayers said it would not be possible. And here we are weeks later with an announcement that nearly 40% of food manufacturers have raised their hand to say, "Yes, we agree." There are no Democrat or Republican children in America. They are children. And so we can do this, because we now have enough reason to be concerned about these petroleum-based food dyes. We don't need to wait for a ten-year randomized controlled trial. Parents are telling us that when a kid has abnormal behavior and they try reducing or eliminating petroleum-based food dyes, they have seen behavior improve. That is data. It may not be a ten-year randomized controlled trial, but if we listen to parents, there are learnings there for the medical establishment. There are also randomized controlled trials also raising these health concerns with the petroleum-based food dyes.
(09:26)
Now we believe in options, so that means we want natural dyes to be available to food makers and ice cream makers. Normally, every couple years the FDA will spit out one natural food dye approval, but on the charge of Secretary Kennedy, we have made this a priority. And Kyle Diamantas, who's standing here in charge of the food program at the FDA, has made this a priority such that in the very short time we have been in office, we have now the fourth natural food dye from natural ingredients approved by the FDA. Today I'm announcing that the FDA is approving Gardenia blue as a natural food dye with natural ingredients.
(10:18)
We believe in options, and we believe in incremental improvements in health. The sickness of American kids is not a willpower problem. It's not their fault. We can do things that'll make the food supply healthier one step at a time. So with that, I just want to re-emphasize that this is a renaissance moment in health in America, and part of that is rewriting the broken food and nutrition guidelines of the United States. No longer are we going to have a broken food pyramid and a continuation of a seventy-year demonization of natural saturated fat that began with Dr. Ancel Keys. We are going to have dietary guidelines that are based on science, not based on medical dogma. So with that, I want to say thank you, and thanks for giving me a few minutes here.
Secretary Rollins (11:19):
Thank you, Dr. Makary, another incredible warrior, and I know he recognized Kyle Diamantas standing behind us, but I think Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Makary and I all agree that while we often get to stand up here and take a lot of credit, it's really the people who were working behind the scenes that make it happen. So a big shout-out to Kyle and the entire team at HHS and USDA and FDA. So thank you.
(11:42)
Right now, what a joy, Michael Dykes, CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, a member of our Agricultural Policy Committee and a real driver in this effort. Please help me welcome the great Michael Dykes.
Michael Dykes (11:59):
It is indeed a joy and a privilege to be here today. This is a great day for dairy, and it's a great day for Make America Healthy Again. I couldn't… I'm just overjoyed, to be honest with you. It's amazing. I want to thank Secretary Raul and Secretary Kennedy for the opportunity to be here today to talk about the IDFA Ice Cream commitment and to thank all the wonderful people. I see Dana Cole, who put hours and hours, as well as my team, in organizing this and planning this. So thank you so much. I also want to say a thank you to the dairy farmers who traveled from Michigan, Illinois, Idaho, and Indiana to be here with us today. Everything we do in dairy starts with a dairy farmer from nutrition to delicious. Thank you. I know what it's like to be on a dairy farm, as a kid having grown up milking cows, and as a dairy veterinarian, I've been there. I've seen it. I know your hard work, and I know your dedication, so thank you for all you do.
(13:06)
This is a unique opportunity for IDFA. We represent the industry, the processing industry, and we're so happy with this voluntary industry-led commitment to ensure that our products are on the right side of public policy and on consumer choice. Back in 2022, we made a similar commitment that we would maximize the amount of sugar in flavored milk in schools. And I'm pleased to say that in the last decade, we've reduced sugar, 60% in American schools in flavored milk, which is the number one product for children.
(13:45)
Earlier this year, we made a commitment that we would eliminate the certified artificial colors. The company stepped forward, that they would eliminate the certified artificial colors and dairy products sold in schools: milk, cheese, and yogurt. Another commitment that our industry stepped forward with the member companies coming for and make of those commitments. And today it's about celebrating ice cream and honoring the history of ice cream in America, but making sure that we continue to offer the products that consumers know and love. This announcement today represents over 40 individual ice cream companies. It's the single largest effort of its kind, and it's efforts like this that demonstrate how our dairy industry is different. Our dairy industry was built on families. Many of these processing industries, processing organizations started off on a single farm with a creamery, and years and years and generations later they've grown into major companies. It is the dedication, it's the hard work. It's the commitment that our industry is committed to doing right and serving nutritious, healthy products to all. So on behalf of all them, I am grateful to be here today. I'm grateful to our IDFA members, all of our ice cream companies, all of the dairy farmers, and the Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy for being such staunch champions of dairy. Thank you. Thank you for being here.
Secretary Rollins (15:06):
Well done. Well done. Thank you so much. Dr. Dykes.
(15:12)
Next, Andy Jacobs, the CEO of Turkey Hill Dairy and Chairman of the International Dairy Food Association's Ice Cream Board. After Andy finishes, we'll hear from a dairy farmer herself, Sam Schweppe from Indiana, who milks, I think, 95 cows. What a joy, Sam, this you are the reason we're able to do all of this, you and whom you represent. And then we'll take questions from the press, just a few, and then we'll be scooping some ice cream. So with that, Andy, please join me at the podium. Thank you for being here.
Andy Jacobs (15:44):
Thank you, Secretary Rollins, Secretary Kennedy, Commissioner Makary for the opportunity to speak today about this significant voluntary industry-led commitment to remove certified artificial colors
Andy Jacobs (16:00):
… from commercially produced ice cream products. I am Andy Jacobs, Chair of the IDFA Ice Cream Board and Chief Executive Officer of Turkey Hill Dairy, one of the nation's premier ice cream brands.
(16:14)
Today's announcement represents a commitment by dozens of individual ice cream companies, from small independent companies to family-owned companies going back generations to large multinationals. We have all come together as the ice cream industry to lead major change and to make this commitment to remove artificial colors. And you may ask, "Why are we taking this action today?" There are three good reasons.
(16:45)
First, many of the commercial ice cream manufacturers have already phased out certified artificial colors and many others are currently working with suppliers to phase them out as quickly as possible. Second, by taking this step now, ice cream manufacturers are ensuring that ice cream remains a special part of our lives as consumer preferences change and the nation's regulatory priorities evolve. As ice cream makers, we want to ensure families continue to enjoy their favorite wholesome ice cream treat. And third, this is about showing consumers and our communities that we are stepping up.
(17:29)
We know that Americans eat roughly 19 pounds of ice cream a year. Think about that. We also know that ice cream is important to our dairy farmers, our ice cream making communities, and our food retail partners. US ice cream contributes almost $12 billion to the US economy and supports over 27,000 dairy industry jobs. We want to ensure that we continue these bonds with our consumers and more importantly, to grow our impact on the economy.
(18:03)
I will close by thanking the dozens of US ice cream companies that have come together to lead this important industry initiative and we will remove artificial colors from ice cream. Thank you very much.
Secretary Rollins (18:20):
All right, Madame Farmer, Sam Schweppe, everyone, please help me welcome her to the podium.
Sam Schwoeppe (18:30):
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you very much to Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy for the opportunity to speak today about my favorite dairy treat, ice cream, and about my family's dairy. I also want to thank the other dairy farmers who are here with me today. For families like ours, ice cream is much more than just a treat or a dessert. It's how we make our living and how we support our families and our communities.
(18:56)
My name is Sam Schwoeppe. My family owns and operates Schwoeppe Dairy, a fifth-generation dairy in Huntingburg, Indiana, where our family has been nourishing our community since 1874. We're part of the Prairie Farms Dairy Cooperative where I serve on the board of directors alongside other farmer owners. With grown sons who do the daily operations on our farm, I also work off the farm for Fresh Connect Central, which is a social enterprise arm of Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis, and that is a member of the Feeding America Network.
(19:29)
I've lived on an operating dairy my entire life and growing up, my parents were foster parents and I personally observed the importance of good nutrition and the transformation it can make in a human being. I'll never forget one of my brothers arriving to our family at the age of nine with gray hair, bald patches on his head, and skin flaking off of his body due to a lack of nutrition. After one month of regular meals, including the dense nutrition provided by whole milk and dairy products and, of course, our regular weekend ice cream parties, he transformed into a little freckle-faced, red-headed boy and this memory is core to my mission to feed children.
(20:14)
As identified by the dietary guidelines for Americans, milk contains many of the nutrients of public health concern, including calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and of course, protein. These nutrients are often under-consumed in the United States population, and they're linked to various health issues. It is essential we consume good, wholesome food products. That is what we're here to say today and to promise to America.
(20:40)
Products containing real dairy are the most nutritious options. And even though ice cream is decadent and has calories, it sure beats the heck out of candy and soda pop for a sweet treat because ice cream is also packed with nutrients and it's made from real wholesome milk and it delivers a powerful nutrient package. So I'm just inviting everyone here. Let's all join in the spirit and make sweet great again and enjoy some ice cream. I really appreciate you including the farmer's voice in today's events. And we at Prairie Farms are pleased to join this commitment along with dozens of other ice cream makers and dairy farmers across the United States of America. Thank you.
Secretary Rollins (21:19):
Thank you, Sam.
(21:25)
Okay, we'll take a couple of questions for any of us, but Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Makary and I are open to it and then we'll scoop some ice cream. Any questions?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
You guys have any questions?
Secretary Rollins (21:34):
Yes, ma'am. And please announce who you're with as well.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Oh, sorry.
Julia (21:42):
Thank you. Oh, great. My name is Julia. I'm with NBC News and I have a question. I know we're making America sweet again with this announcement. Dr. Oz said earlier that Medicaid will be there for the American people when they need help, but they have to stay healthy themselves. So do you believe in the suggestion that Americans on Medicaid should stay healthy? Does ice cream fall into that category?
(22:06)
And then Secretary Kennedy, while I have you, what do you make of lawmakers calls for you to declare measles a public health emergency? Thank you.
Michael Dykes (22:19):
I'll address the measles issues first. There's a international measles outbreak right now. We are doing probably better than any… well, certainly better than any of the other industrial countries in the world in controlling it. We've had about 1,300 measles cases in this country. In Mexico, just as one example, there's over 3,000 and they have one-third of our population. There's about 3,000 in Canada and they have one-eighth of our population. And Britain or in Europe, there are, I think, over 12,000 cases.
(22:56)
And so we've done a very, very good job at controlling it. We have… all the places where there's outbreaks, the outbreaks are actually declining. We have CDC teams everywhere where governors have requested it. And we are also taking care of those populations that don't want to vaccinate. Most of the cases are unvaccinated Americans. There are some populations that do not want to vaccinate. We're making sure that there are protocols for treating people who actually get measles. So in the individual states, if there are issues, we are there for them, but we don't, at this point, consider it a national emergency.
(23:46)
What was your first question?
Secretary Rollins (23:48):
Medicaid and health.
Julia (23:51):
Dr. Oz's comments earlier that Medicaid will be there for Americans when they need it, but Americans should also do their part to eat healthy,
Julia (24:00):
… especially if they're getting Medicaid health services. Do you agree with that connection? And where does ice cream fall into that especially in today's announcement?
Michael Dykes (24:09):
I don't think Dr. Oz ever intended to say that Medicaid health services should only be available to people who eat well, that's not… Medicaid is available to people who qualify for Medicaid and will continue to be so. President Trump has committed to preserving Medicaid for all those Americans who qualify for it, as well as Medicare. But you look at the landscapes, we have the highest healthcare cost of any country in the world. We have the sickest population. And one of the reasons for that is the food that we're eating. And we know that many diabetes cases can lose their… More than half, can lose their diagnosis simply by changing their diet. And so this administration wants to encourage Americans to take control of their own health, to eat right, to have lifestyle changes that save us all. And that's the patriotic thing to do, not only for our country, but for every individual American. It's a patriotic duty to keep ourselves healthy.
Secretary Rollins (25:17):
And I'll very quickly answer that too. Medicaid is bankrupting almost every state. It's taking between 30, 40, 45, 50% of the state budgets and has for a really long time. For those of us who come from state policy, we know this very, very well. But one of the focuses of myself and Secretary Kennedy is changes to the SNAP program, which y'all have been great at covering. But the fact that the number one purchase of taxpayer dollars in the SNAP program, which that with a few other nutrition programs at USDA, spends $405 million a day, when the number one purchase item in there is sugary drinks and junk food, frankly. We have to make a change. So there's a lot wholesale across the government that we can do, but there's also a recognition that a lot of these communities that are part of the Medicaid program, they don't always have access to healthy food. So we have to do a better job through our nutrition programs, through our partnerships, et cetera, of ensuring that those communities have access to healthy foods, that can make the choices that Dr. Oz, I believe, very articulately outlined, so on the back end, we have programs that are not bankrupting our government.
(26:26)
Thank you for that question.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
And we've got one more question.
Christina Peterson (26:29):
Hi. Christina Peterson with Bloomberg. Both Secretary Kennedy and the FDA Commissioner mentioned saturated fats and evolving science on that. Could you expand a little bit on how your thinking has shifted or how you believe the science has shifted?
Dr. Makary (26:42):
Sure. Look, since Ancel Keys in the 1960s decided to demonize saturated fat with a hypothesis that was supported with data that was incomplete and methodologically flawed in his seven-country study, the medical establishment started with a robust debate in the New England Journal of Medicine among academics of the National Academy. But that debate ended in the 1970s because there was groupthink, the medical establishment locked arms and walked off a cliff together, insisting that the reason for heart disease in the United States was that people were not eating skim milk and no fat and low-fat foods, ignoring the roles of refined carbohydrates and so many other things that drive general body inflammation, which is the precursor of fat deposition in the arteries. Well, that dogma still lives large and you see remnants of it in the food guidelines that we are now revising. So we are going to ensure that the new guidelines are based on science and not medical dogma. Thank you for that question.
Secretary Rollins (27:51):
All right, y'all. Secretary Kennedy and I are now going to scoop some ice cream. Apparently his favorite is mint chocolate chip, minus the green food dye. And mine is just regular chocolate chip. So we're going to scoop some ice cream. Thank you all for being here with us today. We really, really appreciate it. Many more exciting announcements to come. Thank you all.
(28:10)
There you go.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Thank you, ma'am. [inaudible 00:28:24].
Secretary Rollins (28:10):
All right.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
I had that for the whole time. Come on.
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Why don't you get [inaudible 00:29:53].
Speaker 6 (28:10):
Yeah, let's do some pictures.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
I want to make sure you got a big scoop.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Exactly. I feel that way too. I totally [inaudible 00:30:07] myself.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
Stay over here.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
It's very simple.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
Stay over here. [inaudible 00:30:24].
(30:26)
Caroline. Hey, how are you?
Speaker 7 (30:30):
Hey, Rich.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
Good to see you.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
Rich, come here and take a picture real quick. Would you?
Speaker 5 (30:33):
There you go. You want that? You want that?
Speaker 6 (30:33):
And they're gone.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
They're done.
(30:33)
Okay. Got it. Okay. You're good. [inaudible 00:31:08]. Yeah. [inaudible 00:31:13].
Secretary Rollins (30:33):
Ice cream like.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
Yeah. We were going [inaudible 00:31:14].
Speaker 6 (30:33):
We're going to do [inaudible 00:31:16].
Speaker 8 (30:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 8 (30:33):
I appreciate this.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
Yeah, This way we can [inaudible 00:31:18].