As the U.S. Department of Agriculture prepares to bail out the egg and cheese industries — at a cost of $31 million — can a National Academy of Medicine committee really succeed in removing conflict of interest from the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans and federal nutrition assistance programs?
The 13-member committee — with its own food industry influence — will meet over 18 months beginning Sept. 1 to review the legitimacy of the Dietary Guidelines process. Why? A bipartisan initiative decided that the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee procedures lacked transparency, were biased, and were not based on the latest research. Agreed.
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee makes recommendations that influence the final Dietary Guidelines, which — in theory — should influence federal nutrition programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The last committee released its recommendations report in February 2015, almost a year before the final 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were published this January.
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