A recent New York Times article explains that when Domino’s Pizza sales were suffering, one organization called Dairy Management stepped forward and suggested the pizza chain add 40 percent more cheese per pie. The organization also threw in $12 million for a marketing campaign.

The organization responsible for suggesting the fatty fix, Dairy Management, is under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency that’s been promoting healthier foods and lifestyle choices.

In an interview with The Atlantic, Marion Nestle, professor of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, explains why a government agency such as the USDA is seemingly contradicting its own mission:

“From its beginnings in the 1860s, USDA’s role was to promote U.S. agricultural production and sales, with the full support of what was then a largely agricultural Congress. Only in the 1970s, did USDA pick up all those pesky food assistance programs and capture the ‘lead federal agency’ role in providing dietary advice to the public.”

Government agencies fight fat while promoting cheese | syracuse.com