American food directives should eliminate the long -standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol Consumption at one or two drinks per day, depending on three sources familiar with the issue, in what could be a major victory for an industry threatened by a meticulous examination of alcohol health effects.
The food directives updated for the Americans, who could be published this month, should include a brief declaration encouraging Americans to drink in moderation or limit the supply of alcohol due to the associated health risks, the sources said.
The guidelines are still under development and subject to a change, two of the sources and a fourth individual familiar with the process said.
Currently, the recommendations advise to limit the consumption of alcohol to a portion or less per day for women and two or less for men, largely considered as a moderate level.
Similar guidelines exist in countries such as the United Kingdom, which advises to limit alcohol consumption to 14 units per week, while Canada, however, has adopted a more cautious position, warning that health risks are starting to increase after only two drinks per week.
Even moderate consumption is linked to certain health risks, such as a higher risk of breast cancer, although some studies have also found an association with possible health benefits, such as a lower risk of stroke.
The fourth source said that the scientific base to recommend specific daily limits is limited and that the objective is to ensure that directives only reflect the most robust evidence.
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The new guidelines, developed by the American Department of Health and Social Services and the American Department of Agriculture, are closely monitored internationally and influence policies ranging from school lunch programs to medical advice. None of the two departments responded to requests for comments.
The Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known teetotaler, remained largely silent on alcohol, but has emphasized whole food in future directives.
Some alcohol leaders had feared an evolution towards more stringent recommendations on alcohol consumption while authorities and the World Health Organization have increased their warnings on alcohol health risks.
Former American surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer and has called to warn labels on alcoholic drinks.
The main players in the industry, including Diageo DGE.L and Anheuser-Busch Inbev Abi.br, put pressure on the legislators throughout the examination process. Senate files show that each company has spent millions for lobbying efforts linked to directives and a range of other questions such as tax and trade in 2024 and 2025. The two companies refused to comment.
The new guidelines should move away from the suggestion of consumers limit alcohol consumption to a specific number of daily portions, according to the three sources, which have asked not to be named in order to speak freely.
One person said that the new alcohol -related recommendation will likely be limited to a sentence or two. Another said that existing figures related to moderate consumption could always appear in a longer annex.
While representatives of the industry have put pressure on the legislators on guidelines or how they should be decided, some officials and researchers have argued for more strict restrictions.
The reports intended to shed light on the guidelines have drawn different conclusions on the effects on alcohol health and science around this.
General language probably “useless”, says the expert
The guidelines, which are examined every five years, advised to drink in moderation and have defined it as more than one glass per day for women and no more than two for men since 1990.
Eva Greenthal, the main scientist of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non -profit organization focused on nutrition, health and food security, said that the most general language expected in directives was “so vague that it is useless”.
In such a change, the message that even moderate consumption can increase risks, especially for breast cancer, is lost, she continued.
Two studies have been produced to shed light on the development of directives. The first revealed that moderate consumption was associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, but with a reduced risk of dying of any cause and certain cardiovascular problems such as a stroke.
The evidence of certain other health impacts were insufficient to draw conclusions, she revealed.
The other report revealed that the risk of dying of alcohol consumption, including an increased risk for seven cancers, begins at all or low levels of alcohol consumption and increases with higher consumption.
(Report by Emma Rumney to London and Jessica Di’Napoli in New York; Edition of Caroline Humer and Louise Heavens)