The Senate Agriculture Committee approved legislation Wednesday to enhance the quality of nutrition in federal feeding programs, including provisions that would help reverse the decline of milk consumption in schools.

Eating lean meat is OK, and Americans do not have to cut back on eggs and sodium.

Updated once every five years, the Obama administration released the latest version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

With a goal of increasing milk consumption in schools, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) are throwing their support behind new legislation introduced this week that focuses on preserving the traditional role of milk with school food programs while complying with the recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) submitted comments to USDA and HHS questioning the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) recommendations and what the institute called an “inconsistent review of nutrition evidence.”

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, presented to the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services in mid-February, continue to draw sharp reaction from elements of the food industry. Both federal departments are soliciting public comments before acting on the recommendations.

Representatives from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) told USDA and HHS officials at a public meeting this week it is crucial that any dietary guidelines maintain an emphasis on the importance of consuming three servings of dairy a day.

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is advocating for better scientific evidence to be the foundation of new nutrition policies after it says a review of the science used by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee revealed more than 70 percent of the recommendations were not based on reviews of USDA’s Nutritional Evidence Library (NEL).

In mid-December, the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued the latest version of the dietary guidelines and submitted them for public comment.