U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

2010 Dietary Guidelines

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans report, first released in 1980, is published jointly by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Section 301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990
(7 U.S.C. 5341) requires the Secretaries of USDA and HHS to publish jointly at least every 5 years a report entitled Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Dietary Guidelines provide the basis for Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans present advice for healthy Americans, ages 2 years and over, about making food choices that promote health and help prevent disease. Nutrition and health professionals actively promote the Dietary Guidelines as a means of encouraging Americans to focus on eating a healthful diet.

Beginning with the 1985 edition, USDA and HHS have appointed, every 5 years, a new Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) consisting of nationally recognized experts in the field of nutrition and health. The charge to the Committee is to review the scientific and medical knowledge current at the time and to recommend to the Secretaries any revisions to the Dietary Guidelines that the Committee determines are warranted for the next edition. The Committee prepares a report of its recommendations and rationales for revision to the Secretaries. The Departments then jointly review the Committee’s recommendations and publish the revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The approximate timetable for the process is as follows:

Summer - Fall 2008
USDA and HHS to solicit nominations for and appoint a DGAC. The announcement of Committee membership, the date of its first meeting and information for sending written comments to the DGAC to be published in the Federal Register.

Fall 2008
The DGAC to hold its first public meeting in Washington, D.C.* A focus will be on the evidence-based review of scientific literature.

Winter 2008 - Fall 2009
The DGAC to hold its second, third and fourth public meetings*. These meetings will include opportunities for presentations from invited experts and oral testimony from the public at one meeting.

Winter 2009/Spring 2010
The DGAC will hold its fifth and sixth (final) meetings*.

Spring 2010
The DGAC will issue its report to the Secretaries of USDA and HHS. The DGAC report will be published and made available to the public for comment.

Summer 2010
USDA and HHS will consider the DGAC’s scientific recommendations. The Departments will then prepare the Dietary Guidelines Policy Document.

Fall 2010
USDA and HHS will jointly publish and release the seventh edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

*Summaries of each meeting will be available on the Internet at www.DietaryGuidelines.gov.