Federal nutrition guidance must be developed with transparency, says Cassidy

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on April 14 requested information on how the Biden administration is developing its federal nutrition guidelines for Americans.

Sen. Cassidy and U.S. Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, are concerned that the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) current scientific review, specifically its review of alcohol and sugar intake guidelines, has not been transparent, according to an April 14 letter they sent to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becera and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack. 

“Providing clarity around how the DGAC reviews scientific evidence in anticipation of the publication of its final scientific report next year is vital to build trust in the recommendations finalized through the Dietary Guidelines and promote healthy lifestyles,” wrote Sen. Cassidy and his colleague.

Currently, the departments are working to complete the forthcoming 2025 Dietary Guidelines, which are an important foundation to support up-to-date nutritional information that helps guide federal programs and enable consumers to make healthy decisions, according to the senators’ letter. 

“However, this review must be conducted in a transparent manner that is based on proper scientific evidence,” Sen. Cassidy and Sen. Boozman wrote, noting that HHS and USDA have previously received scrutiny from Congress and other stakeholders for their lack of transparency in developing the guidelines.

For instance, in 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report that recommended the departments improve the selection process of experts on the DGAC to limit conflicts of interest and ensure a balance of scientific perspectives.

“However, HHS and USDA declined to implement this recommendation, pointing to ‘resource limitations (cost and time),’” wrote the senators. “How did HHS and USDA review DGAC members for any potential conflicts of interest and a balance of scientific perspectives?”

Sen. Cassidy and his colleague asked Becerra and Vilsack to answer several other questions, including how DGAC develops its recommendations for the final guidance.