UnchainedTV’s The Truth Files, tackles RFK Jr.’s New Food Pyramid—a dramatic reworking of federal nutrition guidance that critics say turns decades of independent science on its head.

Released under the Trump administration, the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans are being condemned as adulterated with corporate conflicts of interest and questionable science. The new food pyramid places red meat prominently at the top, abandons clear limits on red meat consumption, promotes higher overall protein intake, and emphasizes full-fat dairy—despite longstanding evidence linking these foods to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers.

Now, a formal challenge has been filed in Washington. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has submitted a petition to the Offices of Inspector General at both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, calling for the Dietary Guidelines to be withdrawn and reissued. The petition alleges rampant industry influence by the meat and dairy industries and violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which is supposed to ensure federal health recommendations are free from special-interest control.

According to the filing, eight of the nine authors of the scientific report underlying the Guidelines received funding or compensation from industry groups including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Dairy Council, the National Pork Board, and major food corporations.

Joining us is Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a board-certified cardiologist, and a leading voice in preventive medicine. Dr. Barnard warns that while the new Guidelines acknowledge saturated fat should be limited to no more than 10% of calories, they simultaneously urge Americans to prioritize meat and dairy—two of the largest sources of saturated fat in the American diet. Recent research published in Annals of Internal Medicine once again confirms that saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Barnard calls this influence what he describes as a “cholesterol cartel” that has distorted federal nutrition policy for decades. PCRM has previously sued over conflicts of interest in the 2000 Dietary Guidelines—winning in federal court—and has challenged similar issues in the 2010, 2015, and 2020 guidelines.

Also joining us is Chloë Waterman. Senior Program Manager at Friends of the Earth U.S. Friends of the Earth, which has issued a forceful condemnation of RFK Jr.’s New Food Pyramid. FOE warns that rejecting science-based recommendations to shift toward plant-rich diets could fuel higher rates of chronic disease and increase exposure to toxic chemicals concentrated in factory-farmed meat and dairy.

This is not just a policy disagreement. It’s a public health reckoning.
Tonight, we ask: Are Americans being fed science—or corporate talking points?