Washington, D.C., Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) joined U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at USDA headquarters to celebrate America’s ice cream makers’ swift action to meet their commitment to eliminate certified artificial colors from ice cream products made with real milk and sold at food retail by the end of 2027.

The IDFA Ice Cream Commitment is the third in a series of industry-wide, voluntary commitments that bring companies across the U.S. dairy sector together around common, measurable goals to respond to consumers and advance shared health and nutrition priorities. The effort follows two successful commitments to reduce added sugar and eliminate certified artificial colors in milk, cheese and yogurt served in schools, creating a record of coordinated action across the industry rather than individual company pledges alone.

Announced in July 2025, the IDFA Ice Cream Commitment brought together dozens of ice cream companies representing more than 90% of the U.S. market. Over the past year, ice cream makers have continued reformulating products, working with ingredient suppliers and investing across their operations to meet the commitment. Many products already meet the commitment today. At Monday’s event, IDFA and federal leaders showcased ice cream made with real milk from American dairy farmers containing no certified artificial colors.

“One year ago, America’s ice cream makers made a promise. Today, we are celebrating the real progress they are making to keep it,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “And this commitment is part of a much bigger story. Through the Healthy School Milk Commitment, the Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment and now the IDFA Ice Cream Commitment, dairy companies have repeatedly shown what can happen when an industry comes together around practical, measurable goals. We listen to consumers, invest in innovation and take practical steps to improve our products while preserving the nutrition, taste, affordability and choice that Americans expect from dairy.”

“I appreciate Graeter’s, Prairie Farms, and other creameries for spearheading this initiative and finding ways to promote President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. All IDFA members are on track to remove artificial dyes by the end of 2027 in ice cream, 37 milk processors supplying 90 percent of the milk to schools have kept their commitment to cap sugars at 10 grams of added sugar in flavored milk, and all 57 processors have kept their commitment to remove artificial dye from school milk, cheese, and yogurt. Each one of these endeavors helps families make better choices and pursue healthier lives,” said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. 

“Under President Trump’s leadership, American food companies are stepping up to make our food supply healthier while preserving the products families know and love,” said Secretary Kennedy. “I applaud our nation’s dairy producers for answering the call, embracing innovation, and taking action to improve the foods they make. This is how we Make America Healthy Again.”

“Making great ice cream means protecting everything consumers love about it while continuing to listen, innovate and earn their trust,” said Richard Graeter, president and CEO of Cincinnati-based Graeter’s Ice Cream and chair of the IDFA Ice Cream Board. “Over the past year, ice cream makers large and small have been doing the hard work behind the scenes—reformulating products, working with suppliers and investing in their operations—to deliver on this commitment. What we are celebrating today is an industry coming together and taking immediate action to fulfill a goal we set together.”

For dairy farmers, the Ice Cream Commitment also reinforces the connection between the milk produced on farms across the United States and one of America’s most beloved dairy foods.

“As a dairy farmer, a mom and a farmer-owner of Prairie Farms, I am proud of the work our industry is doing,” said Sam Schwoeppe, a fifth-generation dairy farmer from Huntingburg, Indiana. “Whether it is reducing added sugars in school milk, removing certified artificial colors from dairy foods served in schools or making these changes to ice cream, these commitments show families that dairy is listening. Everything we are celebrating today starts with real milk produced by dairy farmers, and we are proud to help provide foods that families know, trust and enjoy.”

Three Commitments: An Unprecedented Record of Voluntary Action

The Ice Cream Commitment, alongside two school-focused initiatives, is a voluntary, industry-led commitment by U.S. dairy companies. Together, the initiatives demonstrate how dairy companies are responding to consumers and families while working to preserve access to nutritious, great-tasting dairy foods:

  • IDFA Ice Cream Commitment: America’s leading ice cream makers are on track to eliminate certified artificial colors from covered ice cream products made with real milk and sold at retail by the end of 2027.
  • Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment: U.S. dairy processors fulfilled their commitment to eliminate certified artificial colors from milk, cheese and yogurt products sold for reimbursable school meals in time for the 2026-2027 school year.
  • Healthy School Milk Commitment: Milk processors fulfilled their commitment to limit added sugars in flavored school milk to 10 grams per 8 oz. serving, which has led to a 57% reduction in added sugars in flavored milk sold in schools.

For photos from the event, visit here.

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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3 million jobs that generate $198 billion in wages and $779 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.

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