The HHS and USDA are nearing the publication of another round of Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The only question may be whether the new guidelines will be issued before the Biden-Harris administration departs.
The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report has been submitted to the Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is now available online to the public. 
The departments have opened a 60-day comment period to collect public input on the scientific report. The comments will inform the development of the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines. Additional information on submitting public comments can be found on the Get Involved page.
The department HHS and USDA thanked the members of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for their time, expertise, and independent scientific review. The departments called their contributions to the field of nutrition and health and to HHS and USDA commendable.
“The Dietary Guidelines are the foundation for national nutrition programs, standards and education. They provide health professionals with guidance and resources to assist the public in choosing an overall healthy diet that works for them. And they help HHS, USDA and others in the federal government to tailor our policies to serve the American people best,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said. “This report will help to ensure that the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines is based on current scientific evidence and medical knowledge and that future guidelines factor in socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and culture.
Previous editions of the Dietary Guidelines provided recommendations on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and help reduce disease risk.
These recommendations are based on the preponderance of evidence current at the time that edition was published. As the scientific evidence evolves, recommendations on diet and health may stay the same, be updated, or no longer be carried forward into the next edition. The Scientific Report provides critical updates to the evidence that help inform revisions included in the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines.
The scientific report, which includes public comments and a federal agency response, is intended to inform the two departments as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2025-2030.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here)
