New dietary guidelines spark clash over red meat

DAILY Bites

• The 2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend reducing red meat and promoting plant-based proteins for health and equity.

• Meat-related ag groups oppose this, highlighting beef’s nutritional benefits, especially for vulnerable groups.

• Public comments are open, with a January 2025 meeting before finalizing guidelines.

DAILY Discussion

The federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has recommended a reduction in red and processed meat consumption as part of its 2025 Scientific Report, a move that has sparked debate among nutrition experts and food producers.

These guidelines, updated every five years, serve as a foundation for federal nutrition programs and policies, including school lunches and public health initiatives. The committee’s report, which emphasizes health equity and sustainable dietary practices, is intended to function as a guide for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture. The 2025 report has drawn specific attention to its advice to limit red meat intake despite ongoing discussions about its nutritional value.

“Compelling evidence was noted in the systematic reviews in which dietary patterns that had higher levels of beans, peas, and lentils (often presented in the literature as ‘legumes’) were associated with beneficial health outcomes,” the report stated. “Systematic review evidence also consistently indicated that dietary patterns with higher intakes of red and processed meats were related to detrimental health consequences, whereas dietary patterns with higher intakes of fish and seafood were related to beneficial health outcomes.”

According to the report, which is now available for public review, the suggested changes align with broader efforts to address diet-related chronic diseases and promote healthy eating patterns across diverse populations.

Among dietary pattern recommendations, the report on a whole recommends higher intakes of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, seafood, and unsaturated fats and lower intakes of red/processed meats, refined grains, and added sugars. Flexibility and cultural adaptability in dietary recommendations were emphasized.

“A healthy dietary pattern, as indicated by the systematic reviews, may also include consumption of fat-free or low-fat dairy and foods lower in sodium, and/or may include plant-based dietary options,” the report said.

The recommendation to reduce red meat consumption has been met with mixed reactions, particularly from groups that advocate for beef and other red meat as essential components of a balanced diet.

Public comments on the report are open for a 60-day period, and a public meeting to discuss the findings is scheduled for January 2025.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has been vocal in its response, arguing that the proposed reduction in red meat consumption contradicts decades of scientific evidence supporting beef’s role in a healthy diet. “Most Americans today already eat beef within the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended levels for a healthy diet. This reduction is a solution in search of a problem,” said NCBA President and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele.

The NCBA contends that beef provides critical nutrients, including protein, iron, and B vitamins, in a compact calorie profile that supports overall health.

Dr. Shalene McNeill, NCBA’s Executive Director of Nutrition Science and a registered dietitian, criticized the recommendation, noting that red meat consumption has already declined over the last four decades without corresponding improvements in public health. “Cutting back on beef isn’t going to Make America Healthy Again,” McNeill stated, highlighting the nutrient density of beef and its importance for vulnerable populations such as women, children, and seniors.

The reference to “Make America Healthy Again” is in regards to the motto of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Along with NCBA, the Meat Institute has also provided comments opposing to report’s recommendations to reduce red meat. 

“Meat products provide high-quality protein that is critical for developing, maintaining, and repairing strong muscles; vital for growth and brain development in children; beneficial for providing satiety and maintaining a healthy weight; and essential to prevent muscle loss in the aged,” Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “Including meat and poultry in the diet allows consumers to more easily fulfill their dietary needs for protein, iron, zinc, copper, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and potassium — all of which are nutrients the Report has found many Americans are under-consuming.”

“For the 95 percent of Americans who consume meat, the Report’s recommendations are tone deaf and unrealistic. Americans need guidance on how meat fits in a healthy diet. Directives from out-of-touch academics to eat legumes and avoid the nutrient-dense foods they love does not foster improved health and fails to account for the central role of meat within America’s cultural diversity. The Report’s recommendations fail to provide attainable nutritional guidance by marginalizing one of the most nutrient dense, accessible, and culturally relevant foods in the American diet.”

Food producers and industry advocates, including NCBA, are urging USDA and HHS to consider the totality of scientific evidence before finalizing the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

The federal report highlighted that, “The U.S. population does not meet dietary recommendations, as indicated by the current dietary intake evidence from data analysis. To address the persistent gap between dietary recommendations and actual intakes, the Committee urges HHS and USDA to convene scientists with diverse expertise in behavioral, implementation, and communication sciences to evaluate the science of dietary behavior change and make evidence-based recommendations for strategies to promote dietary intakes that align with Dietary Guidelines for Americans
recommendations.”