Background

The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC), a federal Crown corporation, plays a central facilitating role for the multi-billion dollar Canadian dairy industry. 

Created through the Canadian Dairy Commission Act of 1966, the CDC reports to Parliament through the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.  Funded by the federal government, producers and the marketplace, the CDC strives to balance and serve the interests of all dairy stakeholders – producers, processors, further processors, exporters, consumers and government.

The CDC’s mission is: “to enhance the vitality of the Canadian dairy industry for the benefit of all stakeholders.

In October 2000, the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) introduced a new Dairy Ingredient Marketing Program (DIMP) to promote increased awareness and utilization of Canadian manufactured dairy ingredients.  As part of this initiative, in 2001 the CDC launched a Web-based bilingual information centre devoted to dairy ingredients. MILKingredients.ca was a concept that was designed and developed in collaboration with dairy product manufacturers, suppliers and various industry associations. Its guiding principles were, and still are: Information, Interaction, for Innovation.

Now in its seventh year of operation, MILKingredients.ca has gone from six hundred visits in August 2001, to an average of 10,000 visits per month. The site is regularly updated with original content and information that is tailored to the needs of Canadian dairy product manufacturers, food processors and industry partners. It includes technical profiles on dairy ingredients, a Canada-wide directory on ingredient manufacturers and suppliers, industry related R&D programs, and a "Members only" section featuring specialized market reports.   

Mandate

The CDC is committed to supporting an environment which fosters innovation and growth in the manufacture and use of Canadian dairy products.  To promote these objectives, the CDC has revamped its marketing initiatives and has updated the mandate and title of its previous Dairy Ingredient Marketing Program (DIMP) to the Dairy Marketing Program. This change more accurately reflects the CDC’s commitment to supporting dairy product/component manufacturers, as well as, further processors.