Dairy Institute has consistently and successfully balanced its representation of all segments of the dairy processing industry to achieve member and industry goals of product innovation, growth and profitability. Dairy Institute's primary economic focus: keeping raw product pricing for all segments in line with market realties and competitive forces.

• Representation of fluid processor position at CDFA pricing hearings.
• Representation before the state Legislature and the Congress on the following subjects:
  • Standards of identity (to allow marketing of new products in California)
  • Unlawful practices (updating the law to reflect changes in enforcement and marketing)
  • Federal dairy policy aimed at California (Advocating market-oriented programs to benefit consumers, as well as processors
• Responding to inquiries/providing solutions in the following areas:
  
  • Standards compliance — Proposition 65 compliance
  • Product labeling — CDFA milk inspection
  • weights and measures — CDFA marketing enforcement
• Sponsorship of storm-water permitting program, saving members $5,000 - $8,000 each (the cost to join federal dairy processor group permit) compared to the $250 per company cost for filing under the state program.
• Sponsorship of group report on rigid plastic packaging, relieving individual companies of substantial cost and risk to complete separate reports. Failure to file a report, or filing of an incomplete or inaccurate report subjects companies to substantial fines.
• Initiation and coordination of a Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) label review and expedited Department of Food and Agriculture label approval process, along with continual updating of state statute and regulation to bring California into conformance with NLEA. These activities have removed outdated barriers to interstate commerce for processors seeking uniformity in product standards and manufacturing.
• Sponsorship of a Proposition 65 testing program to alert members to product compliance issues and clarify the status of dairy products in relation to the warning and discharge provisions of Proposition 65. Dairy Institute constantly monitors developments in Proposition 65 enforcement, and has been instrumental in gaining exemptions for compounds used in dairy and food processing such as food-grade carrageenan and acetaldehyde.