The release of new US dietary guidelines has been pushed back because of the ongoing government shutdown. The guidelines were expected before the end of October. Officials now say they will come in December. By law, they must be issued by 31 December.
The US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services write the guidelines every five years. They are used to shape school meals, national nutrition programs, and food industry standards. Millions of Americans are affected by the advice.
This year’s update is expected to reflect the nutrition priorities of the Trump administration. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised simpler language and more focus on whole foods.
Nutrition experts are worried. Some say easing limits on saturated fat could harm heart health. They argue that decades of research links high saturated fat intake to heart disease.
The shutdown has slowed the work of the two agencies. Many staff are furloughed or working with limited resources, which makes it harder to finish the document.
The final version is still expected by December. Once published, it will set national nutrition direction until 2030.
