Exhibit 551 · Consensus study report
Optimizing the Process for Establishing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: The Selection Process
This National Academies committee concludes conflicts of interest—whether actual or perceived cannot always be able to be eliminated entirely on a balanced panel of experts
Congressionally mandated (P.L. 114-113 sec. 735). Finds the DGAC selection process 'thoughtful' and within the law but lacking transparency. Recommends an external third party to screen candidates, public comment on a provisional list with biographies and known conflicts, public disclosure of how biases and conflicts are identified and managed (including a nonfinancial-interest form), and continuous improvement. Accepts that some conflicts cannot be eliminated and suggests a three-year lookback for relationships incidental to the panel's work.
- Source
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- Date
- September 2017
- Quoted from
- Chapter 4, section on conflicts of interest (p. 84)
- Grade
- Primary record
- Document
- https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/24637/chapter/1
- Accessed
- 2026-11-09
- Cited by
- Findings citing this exhibit
- Note
- Summary quotation for the 'thoughtful' finding: 'overall, the DGAC selection process is thoughtful and works within the bounds of the relevant laws to serve USDA and HHS, as well as the American public' (Summary).