Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Latest from Food Politics: The government is actively promoting meat and dairy intake

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans actively promote meat and dairy intake, especially full-fat dairy.   The USDA has long acted as a marketing arm of those industries through its research and promotion (checkoff) programs. But the current ...
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By Marion Nestle

The government is actively promoting meat and dairy intake

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans actively promote meat and dairy intake, especially full-fat dairy.  The USDA has long acted as a marketing arm of those industries through its research and promotion (checkoff) programs.

But the current government takes this new levels.

Here are the Secretaries of HHS and USDA:

More on the milk mustache campaign here, here, here, and here.

And how about RFK Jr’s birthday celebration:

Earlier, in 2025, USDA announced its plan to “fortify the American beef industry.”

  • USDA Action: USDA FNS is encouraging schools, sponsors, and institutions participating in any USDA Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) to source and serve locally grown foods, including beef, in program meals.,,,These efforts will improve access to local foods, including high-quality meat, for American students, and will improve child health and nutrition and reinvigorate American livestock producers by better connecting them with USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs.
  • USDA Action: Together with HHS, ensure the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) reflect sound science and practical advice for the American family, including encouraging protein as the foundation for every meal.

Comment

I chalk all this up to the extraordinary lobbying power of the meat and dairy industries.  Fruit and vegetable growers (“specialty crops”) do not have this kind of clout.  Will eating more meat and dairy foods Make America Healthy Again?  That seems highly unlikely.  In my reading of the evidence, we—and the planet—would be healthier getting more of our calories from plant foods.I

The post The government is actively promoting meat and dairy intake appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle

Now Available: What to Eat Now

My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out!

It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously.

For more information and to order, click here.

You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs.

​​​​​​​

Marion Nestle

Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita

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Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Latest from Food Politics: The FDA's promised work plan for 2026: ambitious, yes, but doable?

  I thought this post on X was well worth a follow up.   I went right to the site: Human Foods Program 2026 Priority Deliverables. Its vision: “to ensure that food serves as a vehicle for wellness. ” Its mission: “to protect and promote the ...
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By Marion Nestle

The FDA’s promised work plan for 2026: ambitious, yes, but doable?

 

I thought this post on X was well worth a follow up.  I went right to the site: Human Foods Program 2026 Priority Deliverables.

Its vision: “to ensure that food serves as a vehicle for wellness.”

Its mission: “to protect and promote the health and wellness of the American public through science-based approaches to prevent foodborne illness, reduce diet-related chronic disease, and ensure chemicals in food are safe.”

Its 2026 Priority Deliverables: these are listed in three categories: food chemical safety, nutrition, and microbiological food safety.

I.  Food Chemical Safety (my selection and summary)

  • Reform GRAS; regulate
  • Review safety of food chemcials
  • Conduct research on microplastics
  • Establish action levels for cadmium and inorganic arsenic in baby foods
  • Research consumer exposure to PFAS and other chemicals
  • Regulate new dietary ingredients
  • Modernize oversight of supplements
  • Collect opinions on allergens; develop regulations

II.  Reducing chronic disease through better nutrition

  • Research ultra-processed foods; develop definition
  • Research infant formula nutrient requirements
  • Recruit experts to develop a UPF policy agenda
  • Work toward issuing a front-of-package label to encourage healthier consumer choice and reformulation
  • Implement the “healthy” front-of-package label
  • Develop strategy to reduce added sugars
  • Evaluate phase I targets for sodium reduction
  • Issue guidance on food labeling for online shopping

III.  Microbiological food safety

  • Get states to take action
  • Increase oversight of imported food
  • Increase oversight of imported shrimp
  • Train growers to prevent produce contamination
  • Improve recall communication

Comment

I haven’t listed everything but this should give you the idea.  Lots of this involves “research,” “develop,” and “evaluate.”  Hardly any involves real regulation (except for chemical food additives).  Still, this is, or could be, an impressive list.

The most pressing area is microbial food safety, because we are still seeing so many people made ill by contaminated food, especially infant formula.

The big question: Where is the FDA going to get the resources needed to carry out this agenda?  The FDA, already working for decades on an increasingly bare-bones budget for all it is required to do, eliminated a fifth of its workforce last year.

And this administration prefers personal responsibility as the primary approach to dietary health.

It would be great if the FDA could do all this in 2026.  We are already in February.  It has best get busy.

 

The post The FDA’s promised work plan for 2026: ambitious, yes, but doable? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle

Now Available: What to Eat Now

My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out!

It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously.

For more information and to order, click here.

You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs.

​​​​​​​

Marion Nestle

Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita

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Latest from Food Politics: The government is actively promoting meat and dairy intake

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans actively promote meat and dairy intake, especially full-fat dairy.   The USDA has long acted as a m...