WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Missouri rice farmer and miller, Sam Schneider of Inland Cape Rice Company, provided testimony on the development of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines to members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). Schneider’s remarks highlighted the important role both enriched and whole grains play in supporting a healthy diet that helps Americans adhere to eating patterns consistent with federal recommendations.
Schneider spoke on behalf of the Grain Chain, an industry advocacy coalition representing members of the grain industry, and touted the critical nutritional benefits associated with whole grain and refined grain consumption across all life spans, including many nutrients that were deemed “under consumed” in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines.
“Sam’s testimony really raised the profile of USA Rice and the greater grain industry as his role as chair of the USA Rice Nutrition Subcommittee, along with his bonafides as a farmer and miller, made him the perfect candidate to deliver these remarks. The DGAC obviously agreed because they selected Sam out of thousands who applied to testify,” said Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of communications & domestic promotion. “He did a great job promoting the nutritional benefits of rice and making a connection between members of the scientific community with someone actually responsible for growing our country’s food.”
Schneider urged the DGAC to carefully consider how they address foods as “ultra-processed” given there is no consistent, science-based definition of the term and that any recommendation to eliminate or reduce ultra-processed foods may adversely affect consumption of key nutrients and food groups, like grains. He also advocated to continue to recommend consumption of nutrient-dense carbohydrate foods like whole and enriched rice and applauded the efforts of the DGAC to explore “staple carbohydrates” as a means of achieving health equity, highlighting the diverse range of nutrient-rich grains that different cultures consume to meet their nutritional needs.
“It was an honor to testify in front of the DGAC and speak about the importance of grains as part of a healthy diet,” said Schnieder. “I believe my perspective as a grower helped establish a better understanding and connection between those in the nutrition policy sector and American farmers, and why our industry feels so strongly that the dietary recommendations include and support the consumption of key grains, like U.S.-grown rice.”
Learn more about the development process of 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines
here.