The 2015 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government’s advice on a nutritious diet, “may look at what is healthy for the environment too,” says Associated Press. That could mean putting more fruits, nuts and grains on the dinner table and cutting back on meat, writes the AP’s Mary Clare Jalonick. A panel of experts is to submit its recommendations to USDA and HHS in coming weeks for the new version of the guidelines, to be issued later in the year. The meat industry is concerned about a draft recommendation, circulated in December, that says a diet higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods is “more health promoting and is associated with lesser environmental impact than is the current U.S. diet,” says AP.
The $1 trillion government funding bill passed by Congress last month included language saying USDA should rely on nutrition and dietary materials in writing the new guidelines. The language is not binding. Agencies usually heed those signs of congressional intent, however.
The news site Vice says a USDA official told it the guidelines “”The (advisory) committee did look at sustainable diets, but this review and the topic of environmental impact has not informed their recommendations for the Dietary Guidelines.” She said the “interpretation that the…recommendations will be based on environmental impact is incorrect.” The environmental group Friends of the Earth said USDA was under political pressure, “So I’m not surprised USDA would say that.”
The home page for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines is available here. It says there will be a public comment period and a public hearing on the advisory committee’s recommendations after they are submitted to USDA and HHS.