Experts warn unscientific beliefs may influence US Dietary Guidelines

As US government agencies finalize the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030, 55 public health and medical organizations are calling for the adoption of this year’s guidelines advisory committee’s advice.

Addressed to the Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Department of Agriculture’s Brooke Rollins, the letter highlights a need to limit saturated fat to reduce heart disease risk. 

The committee has recommended keeping the current limit of less than 10% of calories to reduce heart disease. However, it underlines a new criterion — the need to replace animal sources with unsaturated fats. The underlying parties worry the next guidelines will not include this recommendation. 

The letter underscores that the committee’s recommendations reflect the best science and evidence needed to promote health and prevent chronic disease, goals shared by Kennedy and Rollins. 

Maintaining previous fat limit 

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CPSI) and the other groups say they are especially concerned about whether the Dietary Guidelines will continue limiting saturated fat, which is found high in beef, full-fat dairy, and butter.

Previous guidelines have remained consistent and focused on whole and nutrient-dense foods.

“The scientific consensus remains clear: saturated fat is consistently linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats, has well-documented benefits for cardiovascular health,” the groups write.

The current guidelines, published at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term in office, limit fat to less than 10% of calories for those over two years.

The Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee’s scientific report recommends maintaining this limit, with a new emphasis on replacing animal sources of saturated fat with unsaturated fats, like those found in plant-based proteins and oils.

“Americans need clarity when it comes to healthy dietary patterns. Claims seeking to undermine the Dietary Guideline Advisory’s advice to limit saturated fat are not supported by scientific evidence and risk confusing the public and undermining public health efforts,” reads the letter.

Monitoring beliefs overriding science

CPSI says it will monitor whether Kennedy’s unscientific nutrition beliefs and bias, such as frying in beef tallow, drinking unpasteurized milk, and consuming seed oils, will shape the upcoming Dietary Guidelines.

CSPI president Dr. Peter Lurie comments: “If the next version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends replacing seed oils with beef tallow, that would be the exact opposite of current science-based advice to reduce the risk of heart disease.”

“And it would be a clear sign they’ve decided to discard the evidence base in favor of one individual’s pet peeves.”

The letter defends the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee against the Make America Healthy Again Commission, questioning its trustworthiness due to a conflict of interest.

“While there is always room for improvement in the disclosure and management of conflicts of interest on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, over time, their evidence review process has become increasingly transparent and systematic, and it is designed to minimize bias,” the letter reads. 

“Adopting the science-based recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee would align your administration with those who have stood firm against industry influence, as you have promised.”

Besides advising citizens, the Dietary Guidelines also inform federal food programs, such as school meals.