New dietary guidelines are released every five years, and the preview report from the Advisory Committee on the next set of guidelines includes a surprising recommendation. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays is visiting with the Executive Director of Nutrition Research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Dr. Shalene McNeill, about the new dietary guideline that asks people to reduce red meat.
“It’s really shocking that the committee is disregarding the body of science and the everyday reality of the great job that beef is doing helping to keep us nourished,” McNeill said. “When I look at it as a dietician and a mom, I know that beef helps close nutrient gaps with the iron, zinc, and B vitamins we need. It just doesn’t make any sense to reduce beef in the diet any further.”
She said that Americans already eat a modest amount of beef and emphasized its importance in meeting nutritional needs.
“This committee works for five years on the next set of dietary guidelines, and they supposedly review the scientific evidence,” McNeill said. “One of the things we’ve been thinking a lot about is that they committed to making these guidelines practical, relevant, and achievable. At the end of the day, we see that they are recommending beans in place of red meat.”
This recommendation was on a preview of the guidelines, and perhaps by mid-December, a report will be released at which time NCBA and other producers can submit public comments. The report will then go to the USDA and HHS who will use it to develop the dietary guidelines.
“We need to make sure that we are engaged, and making the effort to get that science back on the radar as this policy report is being developed,” she said.
McNeill was astounded that the current committee had already acknowledged that the current guidelines were a healthy pattern, with its inclusion of red meat. “One of the things we’ve seen as we have cut back on red meat is obesity and chronic disease rise over the last four decades. I don’t think we need to cut back on beef anymore in terms of reaching our health goals,” she commented.
There have recently been callouts for adding beef to the diet, especially in young children, making the new direction of the dietary guidelines even more surprising.
McNeill looks forward to the open comment period. She said, “We’ve got a great story to tell about the research, and also great consumer research that says people are looking for beef to build a healthy diet. We just need to weigh in on that because what we are hearing today simply doesn’t make sense for a long-term gain on what we all want, which is to improve healthy eating in America today.”
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