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July 21, 2011 The Honorable Thomas J. Vilsack 0f Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washingtqn, DC 20250 Dear Secretary Vilsack:

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OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN

We write to you today to express our concerns with efforts by your department, among others, to establish voluntary nutrition guidelines for foods and beverages marketed to children and adolescents up . to the age of 18 that are not consistent with the dietary guidelines recently established by U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). While we support efforts to reduce childhood obesity and improve the health and well-being of our children, we believe the Interagency Working Group's (IWG) proposals should be reevaluated to reflect carefully balanced recommendations made previously by the respective agencies.

As members ofthe bipartisan Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus, we are particularly concerned that the IWG may not have considered the possible implications that the draft proposal may have on . America's dairy farmers. We have greatly appreciated your support of America's dairy farmers over since you took office. As you know, 2009 was a devastating year for the dairy industry in which many farms shuttered their barn doors and many more took on excessive debt from which they are still recovering. With the industry as fragile as it is, we are deeply concerned about the impact these new . marketing restrictions will have on their recovery.
As you know, low fat and fat free dairy foods playa vital role in the diets of children and adolescents. The importance of these products in promoting good health has been confirmed again and again by multiple peer reviewed studies as well as reports issued by USDA. However, after a review of the guidelines established by the IWG, it appears that many dairy products currently sold in stores not meet the nutrition criteria set forth their proposal. This includes many cheeses, yogurts, and some fluid milk. Given USDA's strong belief that dairy plays a vital role in the diets of children and Q adolescents, it is troubling that so many dairy products do not meet the IWG's guidelines despite approved for the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs as well as the WIC program.
It also appears that the guidelines preclude many cereals - including non sweetened cereals - from
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meeting these standards. This fact is of concern to us because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 41 % percijit of the milk consumed by 6- to is consumed with cereal, with even higher rates among , . minority groups. We are concerned that by suppressing the consumption of cereal, including healthy options such as Cheerios, the guidelines put forth by the IWG may also suppress the consumption of fluid milk among children. This could undo the efforts of USDA to promote healthy eating habits as established in the most recent Dietary Guidelines and at best send mixed messages to the public about what constitutes a healthy diet. Furthermore, while we understand that the IWG's proposal represents voluntary guidelines, we are concerned that this action may lead to further restrictions that would limit consumer choices that are not consistent with guidelines established by USDA.

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We ask that you urge the Working Group to reconsider their marketing proposal until a compn.. study is completed as to the impact that this will have on dairy consumption and that at a minimt proposal put forth be consistent with the guidelines established by USDA for other federal progran Sincerely,

Rep. Reid Ribble

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Rep. Bill Owens

Rep. Timuthy Johnson

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Goodlatte.

Rep. Lou Barletta

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The Honorable KathleenSebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services

The Honorable Jon Leibowitz, Chainnan of the Federal Trade Commission The Honorable Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Dr. William Dietz, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention