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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Study: Process to Update the Dietary Guidelines

In 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was mandated by Congress to commission the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), Health and Medicine Division to conduct an independent study on the process to update the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

As USDA began the process of engaging NASEM, listening sessions were held with a range of stakeholders, representing health professional and public health organizations, academia, industries, and others. All oral remarks were recorded and the transcript was shared with NASEM prior to its initiation of the study.

The NASEM study culminated in two reports available on its study page, one on the process for selecting the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and another on the remaining aspects of the Dietary Guidelines development process. After the release of these reports, a second set of listening sessions was held with stakeholders. These listening sessions provided USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with feedback on the two NASEM reports and allowed for other input on the Dietary Guidelines development process. View the transcript from this event. 

You can see how the Departments responded to the two NASEM reports in developing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 below. 

In 2021, Congress directed USDA to enter into a contract with NASEM to compare the process used to develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025  to recommendations included in the previously published report, Redesigning the Process for Establishing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The final report from this study, “Evaluating the Process to Develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025: Final Report,” is now available on the NASEM study page

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is crucial in helping to improve the health of Americans. USDA and HHS remain committed to keeping scientific integrity and equity at the forefront in the development of nutrition guidance. As we develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, the Departments will continue to implement NASEM’s recommendations, including supporting state-of-the-art processes and methods and enhancing transparency.