Examination of Sustainability Messaging in European Food-Based Dietary Guidelines

Shifting to more sustainable diets can reduce environmental impact and improve population health. Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) offer an opportunity to incorporate sustainability into nutritional recommendations.

This study primarily examined the inclusion of environmental sustainability messaging across European FBDGs. A secondary analysis assessed how such messaging was associated with recommendations for 2 key food groups relevant to the transition toward sustainable healthy diets, namely meats and pulses.

Three FBDG document types were reviewed: consumer-facing guidelines, resources for health care professionals, and scientific background reports. Eighteen sustainability criteria derived from Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) and the British Dietetic Association's recommendations were examined. Criteria were coded as explicitly linked to sustainability, included without sustainability reference, or missing. Recommended daily intakes for total, red and processed meat, and pulses were extracted from consumer-facing documents where available.

FBDGs from 36 countries were analyzed. Guidelines referencing sustainability were generally more recently published, with explicit sustainability messaging most commonly found in scientific background documents. Across document types, criteria related to reducing animal-based foods, increasing plant-based foods, and minimizing environmental impact were most frequently included. Guidance related to locally produced or seasonal foods was included in consumer-facing materials, whereas recommendations regarding food waste were rarely mentioned. FBDGs that included messages promoting plant-based foods generally recommended lower meat and higher pulse intakes, although trends between messages and recommended amounts were not always consistent. For example, messages related to reducing animal foods, animal protein, or red meat were not consistently associated with lower recommended intakes of total meat. However, FBDGs specifically addressing red or processed meat intake generally recommended lower red and processed meat consumption and higher pulse intakes.

Overall, European FBDGs increasingly incorporate environmental sustainability, but gaps remain. Consumer-facing guidance remains largely health-focused. Greater coherence is needed in the translation of sustainability principles into FBDGs.