Sylvia Burwell

Sustainability of the food supply is a critically important question but the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is not the appropriate place to discuss it, two Obama cabinet members said, bowing to months of criticism by food and ag groups. The decision by Health Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack overturned an initiative by the panel of experts they chose to help update the guidelines, which are the government's advice for healthful eating.

The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Health and Agriculture committees asked for 30 additional days for public comments on a report that will serve as the foundation for a new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. "This advisory committee report included recommendations that are notably different from previous guidelines, which will require additional time to develop thoughtful feedback," said the letter to Health Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.