July 28, 2025
CHICAGO — The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, sent a formal letter Friday to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins expressing concerns over USDA’s sweeping reorganization and its omission of the importance of core food and nutrition services.
Key resources such as MyPlate.gov, FoodData Central, and Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR), could be at risk as the Department plans to close and relocate USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.
“These resources are the very foundation of our nation’s nutrition policy and public health strategy. Stripping them of visibility or support in a reorganization of this scale is not just an oversight. It risks unraveling decades of progress in preventing chronic disease, promoting nutrition security and guiding Americans toward healthier lives,” said Deanne Brandstetter, MBA, RDN, CDN, FAND, President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “The USDA’s silence is a step backward for public health in this country. We urge the Department to act swiftly to reaffirm its commitment to these essential, science-based resources before lasting damage is done.”
In the letter, the Academy formally requested a meeting with Secretary Rollins to seek clarity on the future of these services, to emphasize the importance of upholding nutrition as a core pillar of USDA’s mission, and to share the Academy’s priorities and perspective on the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service mission. The Academy also called on USDA leadership to publicly recognize the integral role these programs play in supporting healthy communities, informing nutrition policy and sustaining the link between agriculture and public health.
“As you continue shaping policies that impact the health of our nation, we believe the expertise of registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) should be actively incorporated into these discussions,” the letter states. “We are requesting additional information to understand what the changes announced yesterday mean for [USDA’s] resources and the whole of our federally funded nutrition infrastructure.”
“These decisions affect every American family, and they should be driven by science, transparency and the betterment of public health,” Brandstetter added. “Our members, RDNs and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered, stand ready to collaborate with USDA to ensure that evidence-based nutrition guidance remains a national priority.”
Letter below
July 25, 2025
Dear Secretary Rollins,
On behalf of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the largest organization representing registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered (NDTRs), I write to request a meeting to learn more about USDA’s recent reorganization and to share the Academy’s priorities and perspective on the USDA’s Food Nutrition Service mission. As you continue shaping policies that impact the health of our nation, we believe the expertise of RDNs should be actively incorporated into these discussions.
The Academy has questions regarding the implications of yesterday’s reorganization announcement. We are concerned that it did not address USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and the critical resources that support national health and agricultural communities alike. These resources comprise the foundation of efforts to improve the health of the nation and support the economic viability of the farmers who produce our food. These resources highlight the essential connection between healthy food production and Americans’ dietary choices, a connection highlighted by this Administration in proposals like its “MAHA food boxes”.
We believe the following foundational programs must be preserved and prioritized:
- MyPlate.gov: which helps people to translate the food groups into the daily decisions they make about what to eat,
- Food Data Central: our nation’s nutrient database provides a consistent and factbased view of the nutritional value of all foods, and
- Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR): which conducts the systematic review to inform the creation of dietary guidelines.
Together, these efforts form the core of federally funded nutrition infrastructure on which countless nutrition practitioners, corporate wellness programs, community programs, food producers, restaurant operators, and others depend.
We urge the Administration to recognize and safeguard the vital role these nutrition resources play in improving national health. We strongly believe that the continuation of these resources is imperative to improving the health of Americans. We are requesting additional information to understand what the changes announced yesterday mean for these resources and the whole of our federally funded nutrition infrastructure.
Accordingly, we respectfully request a meeting at your earliest convenience to share our insights on the importance of USDA’s nutrition policies, programs, data, and initiatives to ensure that nutrition remains a foundational pillar in federal agriculture and MAHA initiatives. The Academy and its members stand ready to collaborate with USDA in shaping policies that are rooted in science and designed to promote better health nationwide.
Please let us know a suitable time to connect. We appreciate your leadership and look forward to working together to advance our shared goals. Sincerely,
Deanne Brandstetter , MBA, RDN, CDN, FAND
President, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics