WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, welcomed news today that the newly released 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans do not take into account advisory committee recommendations based on factors outside of sound nutritional science, such as environmental sustainability. The guidelines, which are jointly developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also include lean meat as part of a healthy diet.

"Due to serious concerns the dietary guidelines were being influenced by politics rather than driven by science, I included instructions in the FY2016 Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill directing USDA and HHS to formulate the guidelines solely on dietary science. I appreciate that the departments listened to the instructions and rejected the advisory committee’s recommendations based on environmental sustainability – a field outside the committee members’ charter, background and expertise. I am also pleased the guidelines recommend that Americans include lean meat as part of a healthy, nutritious diet."

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which form the basis of federal nutrition policy and influence many Americans’ eating patterns, are reviewed every five years. In addition to including instructions in the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill, Sen. Moran voiced his concerns with portions of the advisory report directly to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell in multiple hearings.

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