Mother Jones Reveals How Government Pushes Big Dairy

In the new issue of Mother Jones, the magazine reveals how the US government funnels $4.5 billion in taxpayer money annually toward subsidizing the dairy industry. Despite mounting evidence dispelling the health benefits of milk and even linking its consumption to higher risk of bone fracture, the government-approved checkoff program allows dairy companies to pool its subsidy money in order to pay for favorable scientific studies, influence the advisory committee behind the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, fund major advertising campaigns to keep milk in schools, and partner with fast-food companies to strategically sell more dairy. Mother Jones revealed that items such as Pizza Hut’s Three Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza, McDonald’s McCafé Frappes, and Taco Bell’s Cantina Double Steak Quesadilla were all developed in partnership with Dairy Management, the checkoff program’s marketing division.