Every five years the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are revised, but after two years’ work on the 2010 draft document, we’re back to pretty much where we were five years ago. And not much has changed since the first guidelines were published in 1980. In fact, it would not be a huge stretch to sum up the new 699-page report with Michael Pollan’s simple advice: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
So one could be forgiven for wondering why they bother mandating this rather painful, politically fraught process. The current (2005) guidelines – and the five other sets that preceded them – clearly are not working to make Americans healthier.
Knowledge reassessment
However, the importance of the revised guidelines is not so much in being sure that individuals are going to religiously check their every meal against expert advice – very few people are conscientious (some might say obsessive) enough to do so. What the guidelines do provide is an up-to-date ideal based on the latest nutrition knowledge, measured against real consumption levels.
And it turns out that we are far from the mark. The few tweaks that have been made to the guidelines reflect that: Less saturated fat, less sodium, less sugar, fewer refined grains; more vegetables, more whole grains, more fish.
This assessment is not just important for individuals and nutrition program policy makers; it also means that industry knows exactly what the ideal diet looks like. From there, manufacturers can work out where their products fit – and whether they could be reformulated to sit better with that ideal.
So it is encouraging that this latest set of dietary guidelines specifically calls for industry to be engaged in the process of improving American diets, saying: “The food industry will need to act to help Americans achieve these goals.”
Industry opportunities
Of course, the food industry has already made moves to do many of the things that the guidelines recommend, such as cutting solid fats, added sugar and sodium. But smart industry players will also recognize the potential that science-backed recommendations have to open new business opportunities.
Look at the success of the Whole Grain Stamp, for example. Few consumers fastidiously measure their daily consumption of whole grains against the ideal number of portions, but grains’ dietary importance has entered into the public consciousness. I may not reach the end of my day and think, “I must have one more portion of whole grain before going to bed”, but I am aware of which is healthier when choosing between whole grain and white bread or pasta.
It is possible that the same approach could work for reducing sodium – which the Dietary Guidelines Committee has said should be cut from a maximum of 2,300mg to 1,500mg a day. Let’s be honest: How many of us keep a record of sodium intake? But if industry can address consumers’ taste concerns as well as their health concerns, reaching for the low-sodium ketchup could become as automatic as reaching for the whole grain bread.
Americans are better informed about nutrition than ever before, and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are an important part of the ongoing debate about healthy dietary patterns.
Industry is not responsible for the nation’s health – individuals still need to take responsibility for their choices – but its engagement with dietary guidelines could help the scales swing back in a healthier direction by 2015.
Caroline Scott-Thomas is a journalist specializing in the food industry. Prior to completing a Masters degree in journalism at Edinburgh's Napier University, she had spent five years working as a chef.