Earlier today, the secretaries of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the names of 20 nationally recognized experts who have been selected to serve on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). These experts possess expertise that is relevant to the topic areas that the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) will be addressing. These include dietary patterns, added sugars, saturated fat, obesity, chronic disease, pregnancy and early childhood. The independent advisory committee will review the scientific evidence on these topics and provide a report to the secretaries that, along with public and agency comments, will help inform USDA and HHS’s development of the DGA. The guidelines are important because they form the basis for federal nutrition programs, such as the school meal programs, and for official governmental nutrition education messages.

The committee members are:

— Jamy Ard, M.D., Wake Forest University
— Regan Bailey, Ph.D., MPH, RD, Purdue University, Department of Nutrition Science
— Lydia Bazzano, M.D., Ph.D., Tulane University
— Carol Boushey, Ph.D., MPH, RD, University of Hawaii
— Teresa Davis, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine
— Kathryn Dewey, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
— Sharon Donovan, Ph.D., RD, University of Illinois
— Steven Heymsfield, M.D., Louisiana State University
— Ronald Kleinman, M.D., Harvard University
— Heather Leidy, Ph.D., University of Texas
— Richard Mattes, Ph.D., MPH, RD, Purdue University
— Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, Ph.D., RD, University of North Carolina
— Timothy Naimi, M.D.,Boston University
— Rachel Novotny, Ph.D., RDN, LD, University of Hawaii
— Joan Sabaté, DrPH, M.D., Loma Linda University
— Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
— Linda Snetselaar, Ph.D., RD, University of Iowa
— Jamie Stang, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health
— Elsie Taveras, M.D., MPH, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Chan School of Public Health
— Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., RDN, LD, Northwestern University

At the time of the announcement, USDA indicated that the first public meeting of the DGAC will be held in the “coming weeks”.

In addition, language included in the omnibus spending bill that was enacted on February 15th requires USDA to report to Congress on the process that will be used to develop the DGA. Specifically, Congress will require USDA to describe how the DGA process will align with changes recommended by an expert panel in a report published by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) in September 2017. The changes urged by NASEM were intended to increase transparency, promote a variety of expertise, support a deliberative process, and manage potential biases during the development of new nutrition recommendations.  Congress also provided more than $12 million dollars through September 2021 to develop the new DGA.

The process to develop the 2020-2025 DGA began last year when USDA and HHS solicited public input on the research topics to be covered in the DGA, including the role of dairy and other foods in a healthy diet. This was the first time that USDA and HHS have requested public input on initial research topics. IDFA provided comments on the topics to be addressed by the DGA and, in consultation with members of the IDFA Nutrition Working Group, will continue to engage and provide comments to the DGAC throughout the ongoing process. Members interested in participating in the Nutrition Working Group should contact Michelle Matto, IDFA’s consultant on nutrition and labeling, at amfoodnutrition@gmail.com