Consensus
Formula is often the sole source of nutrition for many infants, making its safety and quality particularly critical. While most food laws and regulations apply to infant formulas, they are also subject to additional requirements and manufacturer regulations for certain quality factors. These include an assessment of protein quality and demonstration that the formula supports normal infant physical growth.
Per the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked the National Academies to examine and report on the state of the science regarding methodologies for assessing the biological quality of protein in infant formula and the ability of infant formula to support normal physical growth. The committee's statement of task noted that its analysis should include the examination of current study designs and methods that could demonstrate quality factors have been met. The resulting report presents conclusions, recommendations, and areas of future research to improve standardized procedures for assessing protein quality in infant formula.
220 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73521-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73522-X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/29065
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Protein Quality and Growth Monitoring Studies: Quality Factor Requirements for Infant Formula. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop
Changes to the landscape of food safety threats, and the introduction of new regulations to address these concerns increasingly have nutrition, economic, and equity implications. In September 2024, the National Academies Food Forum hosted a public workshop to explore the hazard and risk-based communications strategies and approaches to safeguarding both domestic and global food systems. This Proceedings of a Workshop highlights the presentations and discussions that occurred at the workshop.
76 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73085-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73086-4
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28575
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Safeguarding the Food Supply: Integrating Diverse Risks, Connecting with Consumers, and Protecting Vulnerable Populations: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
Global demand for animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and milk is increasing, even as arable land and water to support animal production are declining worldwide. Among the approaches to meet global demand in a resource-constrained future is the genetic improvement of livestock to increase the efficiency and sustainability of animal agriculture. Food-animal breeders are beginning to leverage advances in the fields of genomics and biotechnology to make targeted changes in DNA, called heritable genetic modifications (HGMs), that can be passed onto subsequent generations, thereby significantly accelerating the process of genetic improvement in populations of food animals.
At the request of Congress, Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals examines the biological basis of potential health risks relevant to the regulation of HGMs in food animals. This report considers whether hazards could arise during the development of HGM food animals, the methods available to detect hazards, and the likelihood that they could result in harm. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals recommends conducting additional research to fill gaps in understanding of how both HGM techniques and conventional breeding methods influence animal welfare and the quality of animal foods, establishing a study group to gauge public attitudes toward animal biotechnology in agriculture, and developing best practices for public engagement regarding such technologies.
184 pages
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8.5 x 11
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71843-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71844-9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27750
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which serves as the primary source of dietary guidance from the federal government, provides recommendations for dietary intake and healthful dietary patterns - including alcohol intake. DGA recommendations are informed by systematic reviews. The last review on alcohol and health conducted for the DGA focused on all-cause mortality in 2020; however, questions related to weight changes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurocognitive health, and lactation have not been examined since 2010.
To inform the next edition of the DGA, Congress tasked the National Academies with convening an expert committee to independently review the evidence on the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and eight health outcomes including obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The resulting report, Review of Evidence on Alcohol and Health, presents the committee's findings and conclusions and does not offer dietary recommendations or advice.
252 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73115-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73116-X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28582
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Review of Evidence on Alcohol and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Symposium_in_brief
In July 2024, the National Academies Roundtable on Obesity Solutions hosted a symposium to honor its 10th anniversary and discuss its next decade. Speakers considered the Roundtable's history of informing obesity research, policy, and practice. The event explored major developments toward prevention, treatment, and management of obesity, as well as ideas for meeting future challenges.
100 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73102-X
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73103-8
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28579
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Roundtable on Obesity Solutions 10th Anniversary: Looking Back, Moving Forward: Proceedings of a Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop
The National Academies Food and Nutrition Board hosted a public workshop in May 2024 to explore the challenges and successes of bidirectional communication between producers of food and consumers about food sources, production, and composition. Speakers from a broad range of disciplines, including agriculture and nutrition researchers, journalists, social scientists, and more considered the health and nutrition needs of consumers across the food system. This proceedings summarizes the presentations and discussions that occurred at the workshop.
68 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72881-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72882-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28024
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Communication to Bridge the Gap Between Food Production and Nutrition and Health: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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In 2024, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions marked its 10th anniversary with a symposium that reviewed the roundtable's evolution over time and how it has informed research, policy, and practice, and its continued role in informing the field. This reaffirmed the roundtable's focus on a systems approach prioritizing equity and the lived experience of obesity in addressing obesity prevention, treatment, and management. The roundtable and its five innovation collaboratives also covered important and timely issues, including obesity and medications.
4 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73465-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/29049
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Year in Review 2024: Roundtable on Obesity Solutions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop_in_brief
The National Academies Food Forum hosted a public workshop in September 2024 to explore science-informed hazard- and risk-based approaches to safeguarding both the domestic and global food systems. Speakers considered nutritional, economic, and equity implications in food safety decision-making, as well as strategies for communicating hazard and risk across sectors. Discussions also included national and international perspectives on risk assessment and public health, highlighting new tools utilizing technologies such as artificial intelligence.
12 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73084-8
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28574
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Safeguarding the Food Supply: Integrating Diverse Risks, Connecting with Consumers, and Protecting Vulnerable Populations: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop_in_brief
On February 27-28, 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources held a hybrid workshop entitled State of Knowledge and Research Needs Regarding Heritable Genomic Modification in Food Animals. The workshop aimed to examine the state of the science of the development of food animals with heritable GMs and their potential health risks, identify knowledge gaps in the ability to assess health risks, and explore potential approaches to address them.
12 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71675-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27591
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. The State of Knowledge and Research Needs Regarding Heritable Genomic Modification in Food Animals: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop_in_brief
Avian Influenza A (H5) viruses have circulated globally for decades among migratory bird populations. The recent emergence of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in U.S. dairy cattle has led to challenges in managing and controlling the spread of H5 viruses between livestock, wildlife, and companion animals, as well as to humans from infected animals. The National Academies hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore potential research priorities that could inform readiness and response to the outbreak. Discussions followed an interdisciplinary One Health approach, bringing together experts from across human, veterinary, plant, and environmental health disciplines, and builds on published federal research priorities for H5N1 to include perspectives beyond basic translational clinical sciences, to social sciences, veterinary health, agricultural economics, and occupational health, among others.
14 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73112-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28581
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Potential Research Priorities to Inform U.S. Readiness and Response to Avian Influenza A (H5N1): Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Letter
The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are integral to dietary recommendations across federal food and nutrition programs and serve as a resource for developing food and nutrition policies and regulations as well as development of national dietary guidelines. A component of the DRIs is the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR). AMDRs are reference values for energy intakes from carbohydrate, fat, and protein that were established in the mid-1990s to provide health professionals with guidance on dietary intake recommendations for energy-containing macronutrients associated with micronutrient intake adequacy and decreased risk of chronic disease. This letter report considers whether the AMDR is needed within the expanded DRI framework that includes chronic disease risk reduction considerations.
60 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72633-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72634-4
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27957
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Rethinking the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for the 21st Century: A Letter Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
Infant formula is a primary or supplementary source of nutrition for many infants in the U.S. Consequently, disruptions to the supply of infant formula can have a severe impact on infants' health and well-being. In late 2021 and early 2022, a recall of specific infant formula products, followed by a pause in production, resulted in a widespread, national shortage. The incident demonstrated that additional risk management planning is needed to protect infants from the consequences of potential future supply chain disruptions.
In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration contracted with the National Academies to convene an expert committee to examine and report on challenges in supply, market competition, and regulation of infant formula. The resulting consensus study report explains policy and marketplace vulnerabilities that were exposed during the shortage, describes the extent to which actions taken by relevant stakeholders addressed these vulnerabilities, identifies remaining gaps in the system, and recommends actions to reduce the risk and lessen the effect of any future disruption to the infant formula supply chain.
400 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71896-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71897-X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27765
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Challenges in Supply, Market Competition, and Regulation of Infant Formula in the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop
The National Academies Roundtable on Obesity Solutions hosted a public workshop in March 2024 to explore the current understanding of pharmacotherapy for overweight or obesity, the effects of medications intended for obesity and obesity-related comorbidities, and how complementary treatment options (such as nutrition and behavioral interventions) advance obesity care in conjunction with medication use. Speakers took care to highlight lived experiences, existing weight bias and stigma, and implications of pharmacotherapy on health policy, economics, access, clinical practice, and public health.
146 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72578-X
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72579-8
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27940
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Medications and Obesity: Exploring the Landscape and Advancing Comprehensive Care: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
The United States is an important food producer globally, in part because of its abundance of agriculturally productive soils. However, management practices that maximize yields have caused losses in soil organic matter, poor soil structure and water-holding capacity, and increased salinity on millions of acres of land - and have adversely affected the microbial communities that are the drivers of many soil processes. At the same time, recent scientific advances have spurred interest in how microbial communities can support soil health, food quality, and human health.
It is in this context that the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture asked the National Academies to explore the linkages between soil health and human health. The report finds that to improve soil health, federal agencies need to promote the importance of soil health, support translational research, and develop a coordinated national approach to monitor soil health over time and space. Given the potential that microbiomes have in modulating soil, plant, and human health, there is also a pressing need to determine which microbial features, if any, contribute to quantifying or fortifying health in both human and soil systems and to understand the direct and indirect roles of soil, alongside other environmental factors, in influencing human microbial colonization and subsequent health outcomes. Such investigation involves delving into the relatively sparse or disconnected research regarding the microbiome continuum that links soil and human systems.
354 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71508-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72265-9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27459
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Symposium_in_brief
The National Academies' Food Forum celebrated its 30th anniversary in November 2023 with a symposium reflecting on its contributions and developments in the field of nutrition, food, and agriculture. Discussions covered the history of the Food Forum and how it has informed research, policy, and industry practices in light of challenges to food safety and security, climate change, and health equity.
102 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71920-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71921-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27771
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. The Food Forum 30th Anniversary: Proceedings of a Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop_in_brief
In March 2024, the National Academies'Roundtable on Obesity Solutions hosted a public workshop to address the implications of obesity medications on policy and legislation, economics, access, public perception, and population health. Discussions covered the safety and efficacy of medications that affect weight status, integrating medication as part of comprehensive obesity treatment, and opportunities and challenges of new obesity treatments in the clinic and beyond. This proceedings summarizes discussions and key messages from the workshop.
12 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72292-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27872
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Medications and Obesity: Exploring the Landscape and Advancing Comprehensive Care: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
Seafood--including marine and freshwater fish, mollusks, and crustaceans--is a healthy food choice, but it can also contain contaminants. It is currently unclear how much seafood children or pregnant and lactating women are consuming, and what impact seafood consumption is having on children's growth and development.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tasked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine with convening an expert committee to examine associations between seafood intake for children, adolescents, and pregnant and lactating women and child growth and development. The committee also evaluated when to conduct risk-benefit analyses (RBAs), while considering contextual factors such as equity, diversity, inclusion, and access to health care, and explored how these factors might impact RBAs.
204 pages
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8.5 x 11
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71698-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71699-3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27623
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. The Role of Seafood Consumption in Child Growth and Development. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop
Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) are promising tools that can be used to develop algorithms to better understand and predict interactions between food- and nutrition-related data and health outcomes. Understanding that additional research is needed to identify areas where AI/ML is likely to have an impact, the National Academies Food and Nutrition Board hosted a public workshop in October 2023 to explore the future benefits and limitations of integrating big data and AI/ML tools into nutrition research. Participants also discussed issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, bias, and privacy and the appropriate use of evidence generated from these new methods.
128 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71570-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71571-7
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27478
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. The Role of Advanced Computation, Predictive Technologies, and Big Data Analytics in Food and Nutrition Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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