Nutritional and medical groups are defending controversial dietary guidelines that call for Americans to eat less meat to help save the environment.
The proposed guidelines were issued last month and call for Americans to eat less red and processed meat, in addition to eating less meat due to environmental concerns.
The guidelines, which aren’t final and were drafted by a panel of independent experts, elicited vehement criticism from the meat industry.
A group of 30 senators, including Republicans Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Orrin Hatch of Utah and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, wrote to the administration last week concerned with the suggestions to eat less meat.
“The statement is misleading as it suggests current American diets include too much meat,” the letter said.
The environmental section of the guidelines is beyond the purview of the panel, the collection of mostly Republican senators also said.
However, the alliance pushed back against these criticisms.
“Diets high in red and processed meats are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and certain cancers, and the expert panel sensibly recommends eating less of those foods,” said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is spearheading the alliance.
Among the more than 400 members of the alliance include the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association.
The Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services are now soliciting comments on the draft guidelines. The agencies will issue final guidelines later this year.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has hinted that the environmental portion of the guidelines may be cut. He told the Wall Street Journal recently that the environmental sustainability issues fall outside of the scope of the guidelines.
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