WASHINGTON – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association pushed back hard against recent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommendations that proposed replacing animal proteins like beef with beans, peas and lentils.

“The preview meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee this week stands out as one of the most out-of-touch, impractical and elitist conversations in the history of this process,” said Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs. “After 22 months of public discussion and lip service to transparency, we are disappointed by the number of chaotic new directions that were proposed at the literal last minute. We would laugh at the suggestion that beans, peas, and lentils are going to replace lean red meat and fill all the nutrient gaps Americans are facing if it weren’t such a dangerous and deceptive idea.”

More insights were provided by NCBA, which said that these recommendations would put the most vulnerable at risk for nutrient gaps, especially older Americans, adolescent girls, and women of child-bearing age. 

“Beef contributes only 5% of the calories in the American diet, but more than 5% of essential nutrients like potassium, phosphorous, iron, B6, niacin, protein, zinc, choline and B12,” said Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD, executive director of Nutrition Science at NCBA. “It’s baffling that we are trying to get Americans to cut out red meat when the evidence indicates nutrient deficiencies and chronic disease are increasing as red meat consumption declines. As a registered dietitian and nutrition scientist, I am concerned that basing guidelines on highly academic exercises, hypothetical modeling, and weak science on red meat will not produce relevant or practical guidelines and will not help us achieve healthier diets.”

McNeill also stated that with more than four decades of Dietary Guideline advice, red meat consumption declined with obesity and chronic disease on the rise. 

“70% of the calories in the US diet are plant based,” she stated. “Now, the committee wants to reduce red meat intake even further, marginalizing the 80% of the population who identify themselves as meat eaters.” 

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) also made its voice heard by expressing concern and criticizing the lack of scientific basis for recommending plant proteins as a replacement for animal proteins.

“The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has the opportunity to benefit public health by following sound science,” said Bryan Humphreys, chief executive officer for NPPC. “While pork producers support the Committee’s recommendation to increase protein intake, their recommendation to replace animal proteins will severely compromise the American diet, as plant proteins are not nearly as nutritionally rich.”

NPPC added its opinion that the move would put infants, young children, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older adults at risk as they require higher amounts of protein and nutrients provided by animal-based proteins.

“Pork can fill the gap in protein deficiencies, as well as provide ammino acids, vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients,” the association said. “With diet-related diseases on the rise and the continued challenge of food insecurity, science-based nutrition is paramount. Pork is an affordable protein for families, as well as federal nutrition program recipients, including the military and schoolchildren.” 

The committee will allow another opportunity for the public to weigh in before releasing the final guidelines. 

In October, NPPC submitted comments to the committee, raising scientific concerns about replacing animal protein with plant protein. 

The USDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services agencies put together the 2025-2030 Dietary Guideline for Americans with recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.