The Sugar Association was invited to participate in USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion's Listening Session on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans process on Feb. 19.
The Sugar Association Interim President and CEO Courtney Gaine Ph.D., R.D., provided oral and written remarks, which, along with those of other participants, will be shared with the Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board prior to the initiation of a Congressionally mandated comprehensive review of the Dietary Guidelines process.
"We are excited to be part of these reform efforts and our remarks provide specific recommendations on how to ensure strong science is the basis for DGAs," said Dr. Gaine. The goal of the DGAs is to meaningfully impact public health, yet history has shown that at the population level this has not been the case. We believe that reform is essential given the magnitude of impact the DGAs have, not only on government programs, but also on almost every aspect of our food supply, including agriculture."
The industry listening session was just one of three conducted. Other sessions included consumer advocates and academics.