The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) yesterday released recommendations to USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), the cornerstone of all federal nutrition policy. This marks the end of the DGAC’s work and the beginning of the next and final stage of developing the 2020 guidelines.
According to NCBA, who has been fully engaged in the entire process, the recommendations shared in the report about red meat mirror many of the recommendations in the current DGAs, including the amounts of meat suggested for healthy diets. In general, the committee clearly recognized red meats, like beef, as nutrient-rich foods and encouraged consumption of lean cuts in healthy diets. Additionally, the report recognized the importance of meats as a first food for babies.
“Cattle and beef producers appreciate the evidence-based recommendations of DGAC. We believe beef is a wholesome, nutritious food that plays an important role in a healthy diet and we are supportive of many of the committee’s findings,” said NCBA Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall. “NCBA and its members have made this work a priority for more than two years, and we’re pleased that the report reinforces the strong science, which supports beef’s nutritional value in a healthy diet.”
NCBA, in its roles as both a contractor to the beef checkoff and as a member-driven policy association, submitted 21 sets of written comments and more than 100 research studies, delivered oral comments and attended public meetings all to ensure beef’s role in a healthy diet is recognized. The association plans to submit written comments during the current 29-day comment period, which will end August 13, and will be requesting an opportunity to provide oral comments during the public meeting next month.