Weekly Newsletter | February 16, 2023
Food & Nutrition

2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Hosts First Public Meeting
Last week, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) concluded its first public meeting to kick off the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines process. The meeting outlined the Committee charter, process, operations, and timeline, discussed the approaches for reviewing the scientific evidence, and provided an overview of the proposed scientific questions. This was the first of six public meetings the Committee will hold throughout 2023 and 2024. The public docket for written comments is now open for comment. 

Administration Approves State Requests to Use Medicaid Funds for Food
The Biden Administration has started to approve state requests to use Medicaid funds to pay for groceries and nutritional counseling as policymakers explore whether food as medicine programs lead to health benefits and reduce medical treatment costs. Last year, Arkansas, Oregon, and Massachusetts gained approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide medically tailored meals as part of a defined benefit in their Medicaid programs. There is no formal definition for food is medicine, but the programs range from medically tailored meals to produce prescription programs for individuals receiving medical services. These requests reflect recommendations in the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to expand Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to food is medicine interventions. 

Perris, California Becomes Second City to Pass Healthy Checkout Ordinance
The Perris, California City Council passed an ordinance requiring grocery stores to place healthier food and beverage items in checkout aisles. Perris will become the second municipality in the U.S. to pass a healthy checkout ordinance, following Berkeley, California who enacted a healthy checkout ordinance in 2020. This law will require grocery stores to replace soft drinks, chips, and cookies with healthier alternatives such as fruit, nuts, seeds, and other low- or no-calorie beverages in checkout aisles. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2023.
Food Safety

FDA and NIH Co-Host Workshop on Environmental Contaminants in Food 
Last week, the FDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) co-hosted a two-day virtual workshop, Bridging The Biological and Communication Sciences on Nutrients and Environmental Contaminants in Foods to Support Child Development. The workshop reviewed a range of nutrition and toxicology topics, including the challenges of children consuming adequate nutrients, the role of exposure to environmental contaminants from foods, and the role of nutrients from different food groups in child development. Speakers throughout the event provided examples of food groups that may contain higher levels of toxic metals such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, and seafood. There were also discussions on how the presence of high levels of nutrients, including iron, iodine, and zinc, may mitigate the adverse effects of environmental contaminants such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium during the early stages of children's development.
Agriculture

USDA Xochitl Torres Smalls Nominated for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
President Biden announced his nomination for Xochitl Torres Small, current USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, to serve as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture following Jewel Bronaugh’s announcement to resign from the position last month. Torres Small previously served as a U.S. Representative for New Mexico’s Second Congressional District, becoming the first woman and first person of color to represent the district. Small is now awaiting confirmation by the Senate.  

Congress Reintroduces Food System Reform Bills Package
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) reintroduced a package of bills, including the Farm System Reform Act and the Protecting America’s Meatpacking Workers Act. The Farm System Reform Act would strengthen the Packers & Stockyards Act to prevent large concentrated animal feeding operations and require country-of-origin labeling for beef, pork, and dairy products. The Protecting America’s Meatpacking Workers Act would expand workplace safety and health requirements to meat and poultry processing establishments.

Administration Announces IRA Funding for Climate-Smart Agriculture
The USDA announced that funding is now available for agricultural producers and forest landowners to participate in conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices through funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These funds will provide direct climate mitigation benefits and will expand access to financial and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to use conservation practices on their land through practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, wetland restoration, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting, and more.

NIFA Invests $70M in Sustainable Agricultural Research
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced a $70 million investment across seven sustainable agricultural projects to integrate research, education, and extension efforts to help establish climate-smart food and agricultural systems. Some of these projects include research on improving local food systems’ resilience to disruption and climate innovations for the sustainable production of rice.
Global

USDA to Host AIM for Climate Summit in May
The U.S. Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) initiative is hosting its Aim for Climate Summit May 8-10, 2023, to promote investment in food systems and agriculture in support of climate action. AIM for Climate is an initiative co-led by the United Arab Emirates and the United States that seeks to enable global partnerships and solutions at the intersection of agriculture and climate change. The summit will be headlined by former Vice President Al Gore who will kick off the event as the opening keynote speaker. 

Israel Revokes Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax
The Israeli government announced it has revoked its nationwide sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax, passed in November 2021. Israeli and international public health professionals published a letter to express concern over the Israeli Finance Minister's decision to revoke the country's SSB tax. According to the letter, the Minister's decision was made without consulting civil service professionals or conducting an independent expert review. Israeli public health professionals are calling on the Israeli government to reconsider and reinstate the tax.

EU Coalition Sends Letter in Support of EU Sustainable Food Systems Law 
A coalition of 286 civil society organizations sent a letter urging the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, to ensure the EU legislative framework for sustainable food systems, as part of the Farm to Fork strategy, is proposed by September 2023. This letter comes as organizations suggest that frequent opposition to sustainable food policies is ‘threatening to derail the process’ as reforms are likely to be delayed or entirely blocked by political battles among farmers, EU officials, and national governments. According to the letter, coalition members state that action to make food systems more sustainable must be taken if the EU is to meet its international commitments and the objectives of the European Green Deal.

Fun Fact: During the 17th century, the interlocking loops of a pretzel were believed to symbolize undying love.