When I first read an article discussing the insane amount of lobbying that went on during the dietary guidelines hearing, I thought it was a joke.

I was wrong.

Various organizations representing a variety of food groups did their best to ensure that the revised dietary recommendations wouldn’t put a negative light on their foods—and their businesses and wallets.

Every five years, the USDA’s dietary guidelines are revised, and every five years, food organizations battle to the death (well, not really to the death…) over word choice and syntax.

The meat industry was the most desperate in this year’s dietary guidelines hearing. A Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report that was published weeks ago implied that the government may extol the benefits of a “more plant-based diet” in the guidelines: “Shift food intake patterns to a more plant-based diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. In addition, increase the intake of seafood and fat-free and low-fat milk and milk products and consume only moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry, and eggs.

Now I can see why the meat industries, particularly the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Producers Council, are panicking.

Director of government relations for the National Pork Producers Council Chelsie Redalan, stated that “urging Americans to shift to a more plant-based diet and consume only moderate amounts of lean meat implies they should decrease consumption of this vital, complete protein.” I guess Redalan doesn’t realize that according to USA Today, we consume 215 pounds of meat per person per year on average. So I think there will still be plenty of meat-eaters out there.

I know that I, for one, will always be a meat-eater. I love meat, and I was raised eating meat. So don’t worry, meat industry, I’ll still supply you with plenty of business.