Over 200 doctors and nutrition researchers have called for a return to science-based recommendations in the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, criticizing the prioritization of high-impact animal products like red meat and dairy alongside fruits and vegetables. In an open letter to US Health Secretary RFK Jr. and Department of Agriculture Secretary Rollins, health and science professionals highlighted internal inconsistencies within the new guidelines and urged for a return to evidence-based guidance.

Critics argue that conflicting advice from the new guidelines, such as prioritizing beef tallow and butter over seed oils, could lead to poorer health outcomes. The new US dietary guidelines have been described as contradictory and unscientific by experts, with concerns raised about biased evidence reviews and conflicts of interest among the authors. If followed by Americans, the meat-heavy recommendations could potentially require hundreds of millions of acres of new agricultural land, further fueling criticism of the guidelines.