Source:Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 3/17/15

A bipartisan group of four U.S. Senators is formally requesting that the comment period on the proposed 2015 U.S. dietary guidelines be extended by 30 days.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) joined Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) in signing a letter asking that the comment period on the recommendations from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) be pushed forward to 75 days from 45 days from its release.

The DGAC distributed the 600-page report to USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack and Health & Human Services (HHS) Sec. Sylvia Burwell last month. The document sparked strong responses from meat industry groups, including the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), which rejected the report’s suggestion for a reduction in the consumption of red meat and its emphasis on "sustainable" diets for humans.

The current comment period for the proposed DGAC guidelines expires Apr. 8, but the federal lawmakers believe a 30-day extension would “help continue the transparent process and ensure that the final report is of the utmost scientific integrity,” according to the letter. NAMI’s effort so far have included calling on the comment period to be extended to 120 days and launching an online petition to give a voice to consumers who want to make sure that “no restrictions or taxes are placed upon their dietary choices.” 

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are scheduled to be finalized later this year. (They are reauthorized every five years.)

Sens. Roberts and Stabenow both serve on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, while Sens. Alexander and Murray are members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which has jurisdiction over HHS.