This week’s News Bites spotlights the highly anticipated release of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americas, a court ruling with implications for GMO labeling and a supply-chain move that could reshape the monk fruit sweetener market.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans spark divided industry response
The newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) mark one of the most significant shifts in federal nutrition guidance in years – and the reaction across the food industry is sharply divided.
Among the most notable changes is a recommendation for nearly doubled protein intake, alongside updated guidance supporting animal fats, including beef tallow and full-fat dairy products – a departure from decades of low-fat dietary messaging.
The report also introduces a reimagined, inverted food pyramid, placing whole grains at the tip, a position historically occupied by sweets. The visual overhaul signals a reframing of dietary priorities and has drawn scrutiny from ingredient suppliers, manufacturers and policymakers alike.
At the same time, the DGA calls for limiting “highly processed” foods, though the term is not clearly defined in the report. While ultra-processed foods are not explicitly mentioned, the guidelines emphasize reducing added sugars, sodium and artificial ingredients.
There is currently no uniform definition of ultra-processed foods in the US, though the Non-UPF Verified program launched voluntary standards last fall in an effort to bring more structure to the conversation.
Read more: How the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines are shifting Americans’ plate – and sparking debate
Court ruling could force changes to GMO labeling
A Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling this week could alter how some genetically modified foods are labeled in the US, potentially closing loopholes that allowed many products to avoid clear on-package disclosure.
The case was brought by a coalition of retailers and advocacy groups – including Natural Grocers, Puget Consumers Co-op, Good Earth Natural Foods, Citizens for GMO Labeling, Label GMOs, Rural Vermont, Center for Food Safety and the National Organic Coalition – which challenged the USDA’s implementation of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. The standard mandates that retailers, importers and certain retailers must disclose bioengineered foods via text, symbol, electronic or digital links, text messages, phone numbers or web addresses depending on the business.
The plaintiffs argued that the agency’s rules, including reliance on QR codes and exemptions for certain processed foods, undermined the intent of federal law. Legal experts say the ruling could force greater transparency, though any changes to labeling requirements may take time to materialize.
Yet, gene edited foods may be more appealing to consumers, as long as their benefits are clearly communicated. According to research from The Center for Food Integrity and FMI – The Food Industry Association, consumers are more open to gene-edited foods when the benefits are personal and values-driven. For foods like pork, eggs, tomatoes and bananas, consumers were open to gene editing once they understood the benefits of the technology. For example, consumers responded positively towards gene-edited pork for its animal health and antibiotic reduction benefits.
Read more: Most GMO foods have avoided labels – a court just changed that
Manus moves to bring monk fruit production stateside
Biomanufacturer Manus revealed plans to shore up US-based production via fermentation of monk fruit, a sweetener traditionally grown almost entirely in China. The company expects to scale to metric-ton production by year’s end from its Augusta, Ga. facility.
The move reflects growing interest in domestic manufacturing, supply-chain resilience and alternative sweeteners as brands continue to reduce sugar while maintaining taste.
Read more: Can biotech break monk fruit’s supply constraints? Manus thinks so
