Physicians Group Challenges Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is suing the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The PCRM, which represents about 17,000 doctor members, is accusing the two government agencies of handpicking a "secret panel" of industry insiders who illegally influenced the guidelines.

The lawsuit, filed on August 19 in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that USDA and HHS unlawfully disregarded requirements under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which mandates a transparent process for establishing the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC).

According to the lawsuit, the report was illegally altered by industry insiders. The PCRM has argued that the report was altered to place an unexpected emphasis on fats, meat, and dairy products.

The PCRM has advocated for a plant-based diet to lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health conditions.

The dietary guidelines received criticism across the US for a variety of recommendations in the report that some experts argued were a handout to various food industry interests.

A response to the guidelines was released by the Plant Based Foods Association, noting that they failed to reflect DGAC's recommendations, particularly with respect to the role of plant-forward dietary patterns in supporting health across the lifespan.

Nonprofit organization Food System Innovations similarly criticized the guidelines, noting the "erosion of evidence-based policymaking" in the US.

The document lacks the rigor expected of federal guidance and appears to prioritize ideology and industry influence over public health, said Max Elder, CEO of Food System Innovations.

The PCRM argue that eight of the nine members of the handpicked panel have ties to various sectors of the food and beverage industry, including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the National Dairy Council, the American Egg Board, the National Pork Board, and the low-carbohydrate diet industry.

More than half of the secret panel members also have relationships with organizations associated with USDA's Checkoff programs, which promote food commodities without regard to their ill health effects and are statutorily prohibited from influencing governmental policy or action such as the Dietary Guidelines.

The 90-page report was assembled over the course of three months, and the names of the panel members were not revealed until the day the DGA was released to the public.

The PCRM has filed a petition with the Office of Inspector General of both the USDA and HHS to have the guidelines recalled.

Neither the HHS nor USDA responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

Industry insiders claim

The lawsuit argues that HHS and USDA handpicked a secret panel with no notice to the public. The new panel then recommended alterations to the guidelines due to dissatisfaction with original DGAC's recommendations, which had "purportedly 'framed its analysis through a health equity lens.'"

The original DGAC's report placed an emphasis on a plant-based diet, but the secret panel's report placed an unexpected emphasis on fats, meat, and dairy products.

The PCRM has advocated for a plant-based diet to lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health conditions.

Red meat recommendation

The dietary guidelines received criticism across the US for a variety of recommendations in the report that some experts argued were a handout to various food industry interests.

The recommendation calling for animal protein at every meal drew some of the harshest criticism.

The Plant Based Foods Association released a response to the guidelines, noting that they failed to reflect DGAC's recommendations, particularly with respect to the role of plant-forward dietary patterns in supporting health across the lifespan.

Nonprofit organization Food System Innovations similarly criticized the guidelines, noting the "erosion of evidence-based policymaking" in the US.

The document lacks the rigor expected of federal guidance and appears to prioritize ideology and industry influence over public health, said Max Elder, CEO of Food System Innovations.

Quid pro quo?

The PCRM argue that eight of the nine members of the handpicked panel have ties to various sectors of the food and beverage industry, including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the National Dairy Council, the American Egg Board, the National Pork Board, and the low-carbohydrate diet industry.

More than half of the secret panel members also have relationships with organizations associated with USDA's Checkoff programs, which promote food commodities without regard to their ill health effects and are statutorily prohibited from influencing governmental policy or action such as the Dietary Guidelines.

The 90-page report was assembled over the course of three months, and the names of the panel members were not revealed until the day the DGA was released to the public.

The PCRM has filed a petition with the Office of Inspector General of both the USDA and HHS to have the guidelines recalled.

Neither the HHS nor USDA responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

The lawsuit argues that the report was illegally altered by industry insiders to place an emphasis on fats, meat, and dairy products.