The health of our nation is at risk, says National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) vice president Rob Brenneman, who expressed serious concerns about the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s so-called scientific report in comments filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“While U.S. pork producers are committed to supporting human health and nutrition with safe, wholesome, and nutritious protein – the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recommendations do not,” Brenneman said in a release. “The health of our nation is at risk, as these guidelines inform all federal nutrition programs – including those affecting our schoolchildren and the military – and provide recommendations to health professionals. We urge this committee to do the right thing: follow the science.”
The committee’s most egregious “scientific” recommendations include reducing and replacing red meat with plant-based proteins, which would lead to several, significant nutrient gaps and deficiencies, NPPC writes.
This move puts infants, young children, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older adults at risk, as they require higher amounts of protein and nutrients that are provided by animal-based proteins, the article says.
“With diet-related diseases on the rise and the continued challenge of food insecurity, science-based nutrition is paramount,” NPPC explains.
NPPC directly addressed the committee in October 2024, prior to releasing its draft report. Later that month, NPPC again criticized the committee’s lack of scientific basis for recommending plant proteins as a replacement for animal proteins.
What’s Next?
The committee’s report will be sent to HHS and USDA, who will write and finalize the Dietary Guidelines. NPPC says it will continue to work with the Trump Administration to ensure the Dietary Guidelines best serve the health and nutrition interests of the American public.
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