The National Dairy Council has made payments to the American Heart Association, which helped develop a new report that says dairy milk should be favored over nondairy alternatives such as almond milk for children. The Physicians Committee reported yesterday that the National Dairy Council paid between $15,000 and $100,000 to be listed on the American Heart Association’s Industry Nutrition Forum. After the Physicians Committee announcement, the American Heart Association removed the National Dairy Council’s name from its list of funders.

The recommendations in this report could have serious repercussions on children’s health. Evidence links dairy products to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Sixty-five percent of Americans suffer from lactose intolerance, which disproportionally affects African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics.