Source: MEATINGPLACE, 12/18/15

The release of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines — which was expected any day now by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — has been pushed back to January, according to a statement from HHS provided to Meatingplace.

"We are making final preparations, and after consideration, determined that the best time to release the new dietary guidelines was January, given Americans' focus on healthy eating and exercise around the New Year,” said HHS’s statement, provided by Kevin Griffis, the agency’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.

USDA and HHS are required to release the guidelines by Jan. 31.

Legislators had taken the opportunity of a new spending bill to attach riders that would limit the scope of the guidelines.
But supporters of the Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee recommendations were urging the Obama administration to publish the guidelines before the omnibus riders take effect, according to Politico. Controversy has surrounded the guidelines since the advisory committee made recommendations to the USDA and HHS that injected a sustainability element into the criteria for food recommendations and took a strong stance on limiting processed meat consumption.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in October, however, that "sustainability" would not be included in the final version of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines.

Scientific review
Meanwhile, Congress called for scientific review of Dietary Guidelines to be conducted by the National Academy of Medicine, the Washington Post reported.

The Post reported the measure passed the House as part of the omnibus budget bill and sets aside $1 million for the study. It is expected to clear the Senate later today, according to the paper.

“The entire process used to formulate and establish the guidelines needs to be reviewed before future guidelines are issued,” the paper attributed to language accompanying the bill.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.