SPECIAL REPORT: The Industry's Response to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

18 Jan 2016 --- Every five years the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services jointly release a list of guidelines to sustain a healthy diet. With the sound advice from an expert panel of scientists, it provides the government’s basic nutrition advice and forms the basis for federal, state and local food policy.

The eighth edition of the new federal dietary guidelines are urging Americans to eat less sugar and meat. The evidence is strong, the guidelines states that diets with less meat are associated with reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Moderate evidence indicates that those eating patterns are associated with a reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer according to the publication. Teen boys and adult men also “need to reduce overall intake of protein foods by decreasing intakes of meats, poultry and eggs and increasing the amounts of vegetables or other underconsumed food groups,” according to the guidelines.

The guidelines also recommend a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a diet based on vegetables and whole grains. With regards to sodium, it urges Americans to limit their salt intake to below 2,300 milligrams a day, and those with high blood pressure should go even lower; to 1,500 milligrams.

The dietary guidelines aim to help Americans pursue a healthy diet while recognizing that all food groups can be a part of healthy dietary patterns to help meet individual’s dietary needs, personal preferences and cultural traditions.

Healthy eating patterns support a healthy body weight and can help prevent and reduce the risk of chronic disease throughout periods of growth, development, and aging as well as during pregnancy.

All foods consumed as part of a healthy eating pattern fit together to meet nutritional needs without exceeding limits, such as those for saturated fats, added sugars, sodium, and total calories. All forms of foods, including fresh, canned, dried, and frozen, can be included in healthy eating patterns.

Dr. Rob Post, Senior Director of Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs for Chobani, Inc., the market leader in the Greek yogurt area, spoke at a recent IFT presentation. He states: "The 2015-2020 edition emphasizes healthy eating patterns which are quickly identified and which consists of all food and beverages which person consumes over time. We consume foods, we don’t consume then individually, we consume then for their nutrients but its important to craft a pattern in a day, or a week, or a month, which is the message in these guidelines. The healthy eating patterns represent that they may be more predictive of our overall health and disease risks in individual foods and nutrients. And healthy eating patterns are actually adaptable to a person's taste preferences, cultural and budgetary constraints."

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) continue to develop public/private programs and initiatives for successful implementation of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines. Their priority is to provide safe, healthy, nutritious, affordable, and sustainable food choices that will ultimately achieve a culture of health.

“Food science and technology enhances our ability to provide healthful foods to meet the nutritional needs of diverse lifestyles and cultures while supporting sustainable agricultural and food processing practices,” says IFT's Past President Mary Ellen Camire.

Bill Layden is Co-founder and partner of FoodMinds LLC. He told FoodIngredientsFirst that the new guidelines continue the trend towards the promotion of healthy eating patterns: “The longstanding directive to cut back on fat, sugar and salt is evident worldwide as food companies have been reducing sugar and fat for sometime. More and more, those same companies are introducing foods and meal solutions that have more vegetables, dairy, whole grains and seafood.”

Layden explains new recipes are created with nutrition in mind: “For example, in 2015 the Nestlé STOUFFER’S brand launched STOUFFER’S Fit Kitchen, wholesome and contemporary frozen meals that offer 25 or more grams of protein, paired with complex carbohydrates and crisp vegetables. The new recipes use healthier cooking methods, like grilling and oven-roasting, to using herbs instead of oil to add flavor.”

In light of the new guidelines Layden advises industries to get involved by creating products that are tailored towards healthy lifestyles: “With a few exceptions, Americans across age groups have intakes of vegetables, fruits, and dairy that are below the recommendations, and intakes of total grains and protein foods that are close to the recommendations. This presents a clear opportunity for the industry to get creative in incorporating vegetables, fruits, and dairy into individual food products as well as meal solutions.”

The introduction of the Healthy Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern offers a marketing opportunity for whole foods like nuts and avocados, as well as other foods and beverages that align with the Mediterranean diet profile and lifestyle. In fact, some foods may be able to use what is often referred to as a DGA health claim on their packaging.

FoodIngredientsFirst spoke to a Cargill spokesperson about the new guidelines: “The new Guidelines underscore the critical connection between food and health, and recognize that many different kinds of foods can and should be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. Our company is proud to produce a wide array of foods and ingredients, including many products that help both food manufacturers and consumers make “shifts” toward healthier diets.”

Shift to reduce added sugars consumption to less that 10 per cent of calories per day
The recommendation on added sugars is not about total sugars but instead to emphasize the addition of calories in added sugars, which is the concern. The guidelines report 13% of calories come from added sugars and they need to be reduced to 10% (based on a 2,000 calorie diet), or about the amount in one 16 ounce sugary drink. This is part of a larger push to help consumers isolate added sugars from naturally occurring ones like those in fruit and milk. Sugar-sweetened beverages make up a large portion of those calories. According to the guidelines, sugary drinks comprise 47 percent of the added sugars that Americans eat every day.

Just how much of an impact do the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have on the food industry?
Dr Post, states: “In my opinion, the guidelines have had a tremendous impact in a variety of ways. The first was is evident in starting trends towards innovation for foods that have the components that are more easily changed to meet the recommendations. We know there is an impact consumers look for meeting these recommendations. And certainly nutrition communities and health professionals look to these recommendations to promote more often what we should be choosing. We've seen a surge in the number of products that had lower added sugar levels and that all relates to previous recommendations of the DGA.”

There are a number of companies in the US, including Cargill, who produce alternative sugar products from high-fructose corn syrups and dry sweeteners to low-sugar and low-calorie options.

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) offer a wide selection of sweetener products, such as stevia, to meet varying needs for sweetness, flavor intensity, viscosity, glycemic response, particle size and price. ADM’s dry sweeteners have been designed for industry suitability and where liquid sweeteners are not an option.

ADM have helped introduce high-fructose corn syrup to the beverage industry, and today are one of the leading producers of corn sweeteners including corn syrups, high-fructose corn syrups, maltodextrin, crystalline fructose and dextrose.

The Corn Refiners Association when asked by FoodIngredientsFirst about the Dietary Guidelines gave the following statement: “Due to the highly controversial background of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, we intend to review the document with scientific authorities prior to offering further comment.”

Cargill has and continues to regularly work with many of its food customers to develop ways to reduce the amount of added sugars in food and beverages: “Our aim is to achieve the level of sweetness consumers want while at the same time reducing the number of calories, all without sacrificing a great taste. This includes, but isn’t limited to, a broad portfolio of stevia-based sweetener options such as our ViaTech, Truvia and recently introduced EverSweet product.”

The new federal dietary guidelines come as part of an overall consumer trend towards healthier eating overall, as opposed to the following of stringent diets with questionable results. The moves to urge Americans to eat less sugar and meat will likely help spur the trend towards increased innovation in sweetening solutions and alternative proteins.

By Elizabeth Kenward

This feature is provided by Food Ingredients First’s sister website, Nutrition Insight.

To contact our editorial team please email us at editorial@cnsmedia.com