14 Sep 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report: The Potential for Impacting Consumer Behavior and What Food Companies Can Do

by Robert C. Post, PhD., MEd., MSc., CEO and Principal, FoodTrition Solutions, LLC, and Former Policy Official for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee was released on July 15, 2020, after about a year and a half process that included public meetings about the science on which the Report is based (see: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/2020-advisory-committee-report). According to a statutory requirement that’s been in place since 1980, every five years, the government forms a scientific panel of renown researchers to examine the state of the scientific evidence on nutrition and public health topics, and consider the need for dietary recommendations. From this process, the Committee provides independent, science-based advice to the Federal government on what and how much to eat to be healthy and reduce the risk of diet-related chronic diseases. Based on questions about the state of American dietary health that the Committee raised and conclusions reached, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services use the Committee’s Report to form the next edition (9th in this case) of the national nutrition policy known as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The DGA is intended to affect consumer behavior, support federal food and nutrition programs, and serve as a call-to-action for health professionals and food product innovators.

From Committee Report to Policy, Recommendations May Only Work When Given Through A Real-Time Consumer Behavior Lens

Regarding the effect on consumers and health professionals, the DGAC report informs the policy which is the foundation used by all federal public health agencies for dietary advice, nutrition education programs, criteria used in food assistance programs (including school meals), and the guidance used by health professionals and health care systems. Thus, the potential for impact on consumers is significant and a premise is that it is the basis for national consumer behavior-changing messaging and programs. However, there are still a couple of factors not addressed by the Committee’s report that limit the potential for consumers to embrace and adopt the recommendations in this next round.

One-Size Does Not Fit All — People at Different Life-Stages Have Personalized Needs

One factor is the recommendations still focus on a general, healthy population and, as the Report notes, the majority of Americans are not healthy — more than 70 percent of Americans have overweight or obesity, and at present, 6 in 10 Americans have a chronic condition and 4 in 10 Americans have 2 or more chronic conditions, many of which are related to unhealthy dietary intakes. Thus, a perspective on personalized nutrition is needed today, particularly because of the recommendation for eating according to dietary patterns, as discussed below. Further, to consider dietary patterns according to life-stage nutrition needs, which this 2020 Report promotes, realistically involves personalized nutrition approaches. Although the Report addresses the needs of women of childbearing age and/or who are pregnant or lactating, children, and adults, insufficient nutrient intakes are associated with certain groups beyond those the Report addresses. For example, people at different life-stages are avoiding or restricting foods from food groups, such as enriched and fortified grain products; they have conditions related to life-stage that reduce the body’s absorption of vitamins; they are taking medications at certain life-stages with the onset of diseases for which the medications they take interfere with absorption and/or metabolism of certain nutrients; and they are on weight loss or low-calorie diets.

Recommendations Need To Be Provided Through the Lens of Today’s Consumer Values

Like previous DGAC reports and policy documents, another factor that impedes consumer adoption of DGAC recommendations is that they are not synthesized through the filter of prevailing value drivers that impact many consumer food and lifestyle choices in the marketplace. The one-size-fits-all approach to recommendations doesn’t exactly align with values that are driving many consumer decisions, e.g., choosing “clean” label foods, avoiding gluten, avoiding animal products, eating “sustainably” sourced foods, avoiding processed foods, embracing e-commerce, eating “natural” foods — whether you think the basis for the behaviors is science-based or not, these behaviors are real. Furthermore, each recommendation should be assessed for its potential to be confusing or misperceived in the real world. For example, in today’s food environment, advising a shift to more plant-based foods and dietary patterns has the potential to be misperceived by consumers of all ages as meaning to avoid all animal-derived foods and beverages. Unfortunately, the recommendations are not tempered in this way.

Even If the Report Recommendations Do Not Motivate All Consumers, the Potential Impact Food Innovators Can Have Is Significant

While the potential impact of the 2020 Report-driven DGA policy on everyday consumer behaviors this time around can be questioned, some of the recommendations have a realistic potential for a huge impact on food manufacturers in terms of innovation and product renovation, and communications about food products. Food manufacturers have a unique handle on consumers habits and the values through which they filter food choices and can fill the gap that the DGA may leave void. Thus, food manufacturers should know the important conclusions of the DGAC Report because market history shows, with each iteration, there is a major influence on motivated consumer behavior and food demands in the marketplace based on the advice. Case in point: the recommendation in the current 2015 edition to reduce added sugars to less than 200 calories a day (or about 50 grams) put the spotlight on sugar and is the major impetus that led the drive by manufacturers to reduce sugar in products and product categories, and many influencers to advise and some consumers to seek lower sugar options.

The majority of the 2020-2025 DGAC Report is status quo with the previous 2015-2020 DGAC findings: Americans need to shift diets to more plant-based nutrient-dense choices while choosing nutrient-rich options among the five food groups (which include dairy and meat), and need to reduce added sugar, refined carbs, and saturated fats. However, there are a few notable areas and conclusions/recommendations that deviate from the previous report, which R&D and product innovation at companies will want to consider for impacts and opportunities for the portfolios and product platforms.

Lower That Sugar With Non-Sugar Alternatives.

In terms of conclusions that relate to specific food components, regarding sugar, the conclusion is to reduce the recommended daily limit of added sugars from the current 10 percent of daily calories to six (6) percent of daily energy intake. That means further reducing the current recommendation from 200 calories a day to 120 calories or about 38 grams of added sugar a day. No doubt, with the consumer values driving the movement for “clean” labels and nothing artificial, this will further stress product innovation to find sweetener alternatives and less-sugar options that won’t compromise safety, shelf-life and sensory appeal. This is an opportunity to research new sweeteners that aren’t defined as added sugars, such as allulose.

Consider Nutrients For Life Stage Needs.

Other conclusions that mark an opportunity for product innovation relate to daily food and nutrient needs by age. For the first time in DGAC history, the 2020 Committee assessed the area of nutritional needs for ages birth to 24 months (B-24). The report concluded recommended intakes of foods and nutrients for the birth to 24 months segment. The Committee cited that nutritional exposures during the first 1000 days of life contribute to long-term health and shape taste preferences and food choices for life. Complementary foods after 6 months can be introduced, but sugar-sweetened beverages should be avoided under 2 years of age. Thus, this opens up a major opportunity for developing new nutrient-rich foods, especially complementary foods high in iron and zinc, for the second 6 months of life and toddlerhood. With the plant-based trend strong with adult consumers, particularly among millennial parents, there may be a large untapped opportunity in plant-based food and drink products that are carefully formulated and research backed to meet or supplement the nutritional needs of the infant segment.

Beyond addressing birth to 24 months, the 2020 Committee put a focus on life-stage nutrition needs. That means better attention to foods with the nutrition needs of people at each life-stage segment, from 6 months through toddler, child, and adolescent-hood, to tween, teen, adult and older adult stages. This will undoubtedly spark opportunities among product developers for more foods that are not only appealing but are shown to be beneficial for the nutrients needed within each life stage.

Show How Your Products Fit into Healthy Dietary Patterns.

Another conclusion that the 2020 Committee Report made relates to a recommendation for eating according to dietary patterns. The Committee confirmed three eating patterns in the 2015 DGA that embody the food and nutrient recommendations for reducing diet-related illnesses: the Healthy US-Style Pattern, the Healthy Vegetarian Pattern, and the Healthy Mediterranean Pattern. These patterns are daily eating styles that provide the majority of energy from plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds; provide protein and fats from a variety of nutrient-rich food sources, including animal sources; and limit intakes of added sugars, saturated (solid) fats, and sodium. This conclusion should spark product innovators to develop foods that “fit” the patterns and can be marketed as “healthy” because they can be shown to align with science-based healthy daily patterns.

Ensure Innovative Alternatives Align with Nutrition Principles and Dietary Patterns, and Are Nutritionally Profound.

Related to the dietary patterns proven to reduce the risk of diet-related illnesses, the Report misses the opportunity to speak to the market of plant-based alternatives for animal derived products, i.e., dairy, meat, seafood, fish, and plant-based alternatives for infant formulas and toddler foods. The Committee had a timely opportunity to authoritatively define science-accepted terms to help unify understanding of the terms “vegan”, “plant-based”, “plant-forward,” “plant-based diet”, among other terms being used in the marketplace today. Further, the Committee’s Report had the opportunity to establish that alternatives to dairy, meat, and fish, etc., have a place in the market to appeal to consumers’ values. As such, the Committee could have provided the principles for choosing alternatives that are proven to be nutritionally profound and equivalent to their animal-derived originals, and do not pose health concerns for any age segment. Thus, there exists an opportunity for the private sector to work with the public sector to form a partnership to establish such principles and the dietary patterns that accommodate alternatives to animal products.

Explore an Opportunity for Lower-Alcohol Beverages.

A notable conclusion in the Report was for consumers who drink alcoholic beverages to further reduce their intakes. The Committee is recommending the limit of alcohol intake for men decrease from 2 drinks per day to 1 drink per day. This would make the recommended limit of alcohol intake for both men and women 1 drink per day. This will no-doubt affect the beverage alcohol industry but may also open opportunities for beverages with lower levels of alcohol than standard drinks.

Act On the Opportunity for Nutrient-Rich Beverages.

On a final note, food product innovators should consider the Committee’s conclusions about the impact of beverages on dietary patterns. While essentially ignored by the Report, food innovators have a significant opportunity to introduce new, nutrient-rich beverages into the marketplace as conventional foods for people at different life-stages with age-related nutrient and lifestyle needs.

The Dietary Guidelines Policy Won’t Stray From the Report: Innovators Are Wise to Prepare

As with all of the DGAC activities, the Report and its conclusions were open for public comment. USDA and HHS accepted written public comments on the Report until August 13, 2020, and there was an opportunity for stakeholders to provide oral comments at a public web-based meeting on August 11, 2020 (See: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/work-under-way/get-involved/submit-comment.)

As the federal agencies are now engaged in the process to prepare the public policy document known as the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, food manufacturers that are food-focused wellness companies are wise to review the Report. They need to keep-up with the policy process; review their product portfolios and platforms; consider implications for their R&D and product innovation plans, and research pipelines; and prepare for communicating with consumers, customers and influencers about their brand mission and product attributes in light of the new recommendations.

FoodTrition Solutions, LLC: The firm was established by Robert C. Post, PhD., MEd., MSc., who is CEO and Principal. FoodTrition Solutions, LLC (www.foodtritionsolutions.com) advises food sector companies and public sector organizations on navigating the science and policy for successful food production and product innovation to meet today’s consumer demands. Dr. Post is also an adjunct professor of food laws and regulations; a former food industry executive leading health and wellness innovation and regulatory affairs; and a former White House nutrition policy advisor and senior executive director of federal nutrition and food safety agencies.

Read the Full Article:

Post, R.C., 2020, The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report: The Potential for Impacting Consumer Behavior and What Food Companies Can Do. LinkedIn Article, September.
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