Canada’s New 2019 Food Guidelines Eliminates Dairy and Products

The new Food Guide developed by Health Canada, which is soon to be released has removed milk and milk products from the original primary food groups. The previous Food Guide recommended Canadians to consume four servings of milk and milk products every day. But, recent guidelines have drastically cut down on dairy products.// The new Food Guide has recommended only one pint of milk intake every day, which excludes delicious products such as cheese and yogurt. Canadians are instead encouraged to make up the daily protein intake through healthy alternative vegetable sources such as legumes and unsalted nuts. As for beverages, the new guide promotes drinking water instead of milk.

But, the move has raised concerns among the dairy farmers. The Dairy Farmers of Canada warned the removal of dairy from the food groups as the choice of the guide will actively advocate Canadians to opt plant-based protein sources over milk and its products.

The group cites that this would negatively affect the dairy sector and could be detrimental to the health of future generations by leading them “to erroneously think that dairy products are unhealthy.” Not only does the dairy sector faces harm, but people who are dependent on it for livelihood will also get affected.

Isabelle Neiderer, Dairy Farmers of Canada’s (DFC’s) Director of Nutrition and Research, and a registered dietitian said: “There is no scientific justification to minimize the role of milk products in a healthy diet as they are a key source of 6 of the 8 nutrients that most Canadians already fall short of.” She also said that according to scientific evidence, consumption of 2 to 4 servings of milk products has a beneficial role in promoting bone health and preventing many chronic diseases such as hypertension, colorectal cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. She also asked for Prime Minister Trudeau to direct the ministry of health to take into account the available scientific evidence before the release of the new Food Guide.

However, much scientific evidence claims that even for people who aren't lactose intolerant, dairy has adverse effects on digestion, increase congestion, causes fatigue and acne. Cutting down on milk and its products offers the remedy.

Milk is not the only one removed from the list. Also gone, the rainbow format of Food Guide we all know. Instead, a list of 28 items is provided in the guide that should or could be eaten daily for a healthy life. The amount of each food item needed is also not mentioned.

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Source-Medindia