Earlier this year, the US brought out an excellent set of draft dietary guidelines. But the US meat industry is on the attack. And in the UK we are lagging far behind.
I’m hard to surprise. But the recent recommendations of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee – which reviews US dietary guidelines every 5 years – gave me a shock. And a sense of shame.
The bombshell was not that they had included sustainability alongside nutritional goals in the guidelines; and a sensible recommendation to eat less meat. After all, they are experts, and the evidence that we need to change dietary habits to protect both public and environmental health is overwhelming.
My astonishment was how this got through the mighty US food industry lobby that usually holds complete sway over any food related policy. The power (and money) they have is such that I would want them on my side in any battle. And they are furious about these guidelines which would actually have limited direct impact – these are used to set food standards in state schools for instance – but huge indirect implications.
With millions of dollars in profits at stake from such a ‘radical’ rethink of what a good diet means, they are in opposition mode. In the past they almost silenced Oprah Winfrey (with a $12million lawsuit), pushed for laws –called ‘ag-gag Bills’ – that stop undercover investigations surrounding the abuse of farmed animals. They even took cuddly Disney to court over the use of the term pink slime to describe a form of mechanically recovered ‘meat’.
The bits they really don’t like in the Committee’s advice include:
“a diet higher in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and lower in calories and animal-based foods is more health promoting … than is the current U.S. diet … linking health, dietary guidance, and the environment will promote human health and the sustainability of natural resources and ensure current and long-term food security.”
The food and meat industry will try every tactic to stop the recommendations being approved by Obama. Tom Vilsack, head of US Department of Agriculture, is on their side implying that the committee has exceeded its brief and needs to “learn how to color inside the lines”.
Over 100 US public interest organisations and experts have signed an open letter supporting the guidelines: “calling for less meat and more plants in our diets for the sake of our health and that of the planet.” Obama will have the final say so he clearly needs to hear strong messages of support. You can respond to the consultation on the US guidelines right now.
What about the UK?
Alongside my surprise was a sense of shame – that the US has done this before us. Since July 2013 our Government has been sitting on its own draft set of ‘principles for a sustainable diet’ with some similar recommendations. Agreed by a wide stakeholder group in 2013, these principles included advice to:
- Moderate your meat consumption and enjoy more peas, beans, nuts and other sources of protein
- Eat more plant based foods, including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day
- Value your food. Ask about where it comes from and how it is produced. Don’t waste it.
We are now unlikely to get new UK guidelines before the election. So the new Government must act on the hefty weight of evidence of environmental, public health and economic harm from our current diet and publish new guidelines and policies to promote a sustainable healthy diet.
Follow Vicki Hird on twitter @vickihird, keep up to date with the campaign and Land Food and Water team news on the facebook group and have a go eating less and better meat by trying a Meat Free May – sign up here.
