An independent log of what changed in national dietary guidelines and food policy — the US (2025–2030 DGA and MyPlate's retirement), Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Australia, the EAT-Lancet Commission, and the ADA.
We rebuilt the USDA MyPlate tools independently, so we track how official dietary guidance changes worldwide — and update our pages when it does. This is a plain log of what changed and what it means, with a link to every primary source. It isn't affiliated with any government, and every guideline still has its own page on this site.
March 26, 2026 · Canada · School food
Canada's National School Food Program Act received royal assent on 26 March 2026 (via Bill C-15, the Budget 2025 implementation act), giving the program announced in April 2024 a permanent legal footing. Budget 2025 funds it at $216.6 million per year from 2029–30.
The program launched with $1 billion over five years and a National School Food Policy (June 2024), aiming to reach 400,000 more children a year with school meals.
What it means: School meals in Canada now have a law behind them, not just a budget line — a durable anchor for every province's school-food programs.
Sources: Bill C-15 (LEGISinfo) (Parliament of Canada) · National School Food Program announcement (Prime Minister of Canada) · National School Food Policy (Government of Canada)
February 13, 2026 · Australia & New Zealand · Health Star Rating · Labeling
At the 13 February 2026 Food Ministers' Meeting, ministers asked FSANZ to prepare mandatory front-of-pack Health Star Rating labeling for Australia and New Zealand, after industry missed the voluntary target: 70% of intended products were meant to display the stars by 14 November 2025, but actual uptake reached only 39% in Australia and 36% in New Zealand.
FSANZ has commenced Proposal P1067 to amend the Food Standards Code, with two rounds of public consultation before ministers take a final decision. The same meeting concluded the Nutrition Information Panel needs no regulatory change.
What it means: The star rating on some Australian and NZ foods is on track to become compulsory on all of them — voluntary uptake fell far short.
Sources: FSANZ: HSR preparatory work (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) · Food Processing AU
January 7, 2026 · United States · DGA · MyPlate icon
HHS and USDA released the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, launched RealFood.gov, and retired the MyPlate.gov website. The new edition leans into protein-rich whole foods — red meat is now named among the recommended proteins — and full-fat dairy, and it replaces the MyPlate visual with an inverted food pyramid.
The interactive MyPlate Plan calculator was removed in the consolidation.
What it means: The plate icon taught since 2011 is no longer the federal symbol. Our MyPlate Plan calculator continues the 2020–2025 MyPlate-format plan, unchanged.
Sources: dietaryguidelines.gov (USDA & HHS) · realfood.gov (USDA & HHS) · hhs.gov (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services)
January 1, 2026 · Canada · Labeling
As of 1 January 2026, most prepackaged foods sold in Canada must carry the black-and-white magnifying-glass "High in / Élevé en" symbol when saturated fat, sugars, or sodium meet or exceed 15% of the Daily Value (10% for small packages, 30% for main dishes of 200 g or more). The regulations were finalized in July 2022 with a transition period that ended 31 December 2025.
The CFIA states it has not issued — and does not intend to issue — enforcement discretion beyond the deadline; products packaged before the date may sell through.
Canada's Food Guide itself remains the January 2019 edition — the plate with no serving counts — with no revision since.
What it means: The biggest Canadian food-label change since the Nutrition Facts table: groceries high in sat fat, sugar, or salt now wear a warning-style symbol. Context on our Canada's Food Guide pages.
Sources: SOR/2022-168 (Canada Gazette, Part II) (Government of Canada) · CFIA nutrition labelling compliance (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
January 1, 2026 · Mexico · Soda tax
Mexico's IEPS levy on flavored drinks with added sugars rose to $3.0818 MXN per liter on 1 January 2026 — up from about $1.64, an increase of roughly 87% — under a decree published in the Diario Oficial on 7 November 2025.
For the first time, drinks with non-caloric sweeteners are taxed too, at $1.50 MXN per liter. It is the biggest change to the levy since it began in 2014.
What it means: Mexico nearly doubled its soda tax and extended it to zero-sugar drinks — a first since the tax began in 2014.
Sources: Decreto IEPS (DOF 07/11/2025) (Diario Oficial de la Federación)
January 1, 2026 · South Korea · Labeling
From 1 January 2026, mandatory nutrition labeling in South Korea expands from 182 to 259 processed-food categories — essentially all processed foods, with about 30 exemptions for items like ice, chewing gum, and steeped teas. Categories such as rice cakes, breads, and noodles are covered for the first time.
The rollout is phased by company size: businesses with 2022 revenue over ₩12 billion comply from 2026; smaller businesses have until 1 January 2028. The same amendment (announced 9 August 2024) tightens "no added sugar" and sweetener disclosure rules.
What it means: Nearly every packaged food sold in Korea now carries a nutrition facts label — see our Korean dietary guidelines pages for what the numbers mean.
Sources: korea.kr policy briefing (Republic of Korea) · MFDS notice (2026 changes) (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety)
December 31, 2025 · South Korea · KDRIs
South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare released the 2025 Korean Dietary Reference Intakes (한국인 영양소 섭취기준) on 31 December 2025 — the second five-year revision since the standards were enacted nationally in 2015, developed with the Korean Nutrition Society.
The acceptable carbohydrate range drops from 55–65% of energy to 50–65%, and protein rises from 7–20% to 10–20% (fat stays 15–30%). Choline gets Korean reference values for the first time, and around 20 nutrients were revised, including dietary fiber, vitamin B6, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium.
Sugar guidance was reworked: total sugars at or below 20% of energy, added sugars below 10%, with new advice to minimize sugary-drink intake.
What it means: Korea's official targets now say relatively less carbohydrate and more protein. Our Korean guidelines pages document the 2020 edition — a 2025 review is on our list.
Full analysis: The 2025 KDRIs land: less carbohydrate, more protein, choline debuts
Sources: MOHW press release (보건복지부 (Ministry of Health and Welfare)) · Korean Nutrition Society (2025 KDRIs) (한국영양학회)
December 8, 2025 · United States · ADA · Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association released its Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 on 8 December 2025 (the supplement to the January 2026 issue of Diabetes Care).
New on the food side: expanded guidance on eating patterns with evidence for preventing type 2 diabetes — explicitly including Mediterranean-style and low-carbohydrate patterns, with patient-facing resources — plus emphasis on monitoring adequate nutrition and physical activity during obesity treatment.
The Diabetes Plate method itself is unchanged; the 2025 "Plan Your Plate" materials remain current.
What it means: The ADA's annual rulebook now names Mediterranean-style and lower-carb patterns as evidence-backed for preventing type 2 — not just managing it. See our Diabetes Plate pages.
Full analysis: ADA Standards of Care 2026: eating patterns for preventing type 2
Sources: ADA release (PR Newswire) (American Diabetes Association) · Diabetes Care 49(S1) (American Diabetes Association)
October 16, 2025 · Mexico · Guías Alimentarias
Mexico's health secretariat issued a second edition of the Guías Alimentarias Saludables y Sostenibles para la Población Mexicana on 16 October 2025, aligning the guidance with the Ley General de Alimentación Adecuada y Sostenible (2024) and the 2025–2030 national plan.
The first edition (SSA, INSP, and UNICEF, 2023) was Mexico's first set of guidelines built on healthy AND sustainable diets: ten food-based recommendations spanning daily legumes, whole-grain maize tortillas, fewer ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks, and food culture.
What it means: Mexico's sustainability-centered guidelines got a second edition — the Plato del Bien Comer remains the visual model our pages document.
Sources: Guías Alimentarias 2025 (gob.mx) (Secretaría de Salud) · Guías Alimentarias 2023 (PDF) (SSA, INSP, UNICEF)
October 2, 2025 · Global · EAT-Lancet · Planetary Health Diet
The EAT-Lancet Commission published its second report on 2 October 2025 (The Lancet, vol. 406) — the first full update since 2019. Justice is elevated to a co-equal pillar alongside health and sustainability: fewer than 1% of people currently live within the "safe and just space" the report defines.
The Planetary Health Diet keeps its plant-rich shape — red meat about once a week, dairy about once a day, eggs, poultry, and fish about twice a week — while the estimate of premature deaths preventable by the diet rises from about 11.6 to about 15 million per year.
Food systems are now assessed against all planetary boundaries (food is the primary driver of breaching five), and the modelling shows about 9.6 billion people could be fed within limits by 2050.
What it means: The most-cited "planetary health diet" got its first update in six years — bigger estimated health payoff, new focus on fairness. Our Planetary Health Diet pages cover both editions.
Sources: The Lancet (PubMed) (EAT-Lancet Commission) · EAT launch announcement (EAT) · Harvard Chan School (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
August 2025 · Australia · Dietary Guidelines review
Australia's NHMRC is deep into replacing the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines. Two public calls for evidence ran in 2025 — 19 February to 14 March (diet and health, all ages) and 28 July to 18 August (older adults; diet and sustainability) — and a Sustainability Working Group is advising on diet-sustainability evidence for the first time.
NHMRC anticipates the draft guidelines will open for public consultation in 2026, with the revised guidelines anticipated to publish in late 2026. Until then, the 2013 guidelines and the five-food-group model remain current.
What it means: Australia's 2013 guidelines are finally being replaced — the draft is expected for public comment in 2026. Our Australian Guide pages track the current model.
Sources: NHMRC review FAQ (National Health and Medical Research Council) · NHMRC guideline development (NHMRC)
July 31, 2025 · Mexico · NOM-051 · Labeling
Mexico's Secretaría de Economía published an Acuerdo in the Diario Oficial on 31 July 2025 extending the front-of-package warning-label phases: phase 2 criteria now apply through 31 December 2027, and phase 3 — the stricter Tabla 6 nutrient thresholds for the black warning seals — is deferred to 1 January 2028.
Contrary to a widely repeated claim, phase 3 did not begin in October 2025: even before this extension, the regulation's own schedule had phase 3 starting 1 January 2026. The warning-seal system itself (in force since October 2020) is unchanged.
What it means: Mexico's stricter round of black warning-seal thresholds is postponed to 2028 — and the "phase 3 started in 2025" claim circulating online is wrong per the DOF text.
Sources: Acuerdo NOM-051 (DOF 31/07/2025) (Diario Oficial de la Federación)
September 30, 2024 · Mexico · School food
Mexico published general lineamientos in the Diario Oficial on 30 September 2024 governing food and drink in all schools of the national education system: any product carrying front-of-package warning seals may no longer be distributed or sold, with fresh, local food and plain water prioritized.
Application became obligatory 180 calendar days after entry into force — from late March 2025 (the education secretariat set 29 March 2025) — across basic, upper-secondary, and higher education.
What it means: Since spring 2025, snacks and drinks bearing Mexico's warning seals can't legally be sold in any school in the country.
Sources: Lineamientos (DOF 30/09/2024) (Diario Oficial de la Federación)
September 25, 2024 · Germany · BZfE · Ernährungspyramide
The BZfE revised its portion pyramid on 25 September 2024 to align with the DGE's 2024 recommendations. It keeps 22 daily portion blocks, but rearranges them.
Fruit and vegetables merge into one five-portion group, dairy drops from three blocks to two, legumes join the protein block, and nuts get their own block on the fats row. Oils and fats were recolored from red to yellow — only Extras stay red.
What it means: The pyramid most German schools teach changed shape — portion counts memorized before late 2024 are off in four places. See our Ernährungspyramide page.
Sources: bzfe.de (Bundeszentrum für Ernährung (BLE))
September 2024 · Switzerland · SGE · Lebensmittelpyramide
The SGE and the federal BLV published new Swiss dietary recommendations in September 2024 — the first revision of the food pyramid since 2011.
Legumes move from the grains tier into the daily protein rotation, dairy becomes its own two-to-three-portion group, and nuts and seeds split off into a daily group of their own (a small handful). Meat is explicitly capped at two to three times per week, counting poultry and processed meat.
Sustainability becomes an explicit dimension alongside health.
What it means: The 2011 pyramid on Swiss classroom walls is superseded; the weekly meat cap is the headline change. See our Swiss food pyramid page.
Sources: sge-ssn.ch (Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ernährung) · blv.admin.ch (Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen)
July 25, 2024 · Austria · Ernährungsempfehlungen
Austria published new national dietary recommendations on 25 July 2024 — issued for the health ministry by GÖG, AGES, and ÖGE — with redesigned pyramid graphics following in autumn 2024.
For the first time there are two variants — “Ich esse alles” and “Ich esse vegetarisch” — plus a complementary “gesunder Teller” plate: half vegetables and fruit, a quarter whole grains and potatoes, a quarter protein, mostly plant.
Legumes get their own category (at least three times a week), and dairy drops from three portions to two.
What it means: The 2010 pyramid taught for 14 years is superseded, and the vegetarian variant is now official. See our Austrian food pyramid page.
Sources: sozialministerium.gv.at (BM für Soziales, Gesundheit, Pflege und Konsumentenschutz) · gesundheit.gv.at (Öffentliches Gesundheitsportal Österreichs) · ernaehrungsempfehlung.at (GÖG / AGES / ÖGE)
March 2024 · Germany · DGE · 10 Regeln
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung published new food-based dietary recommendations in March 2024, formally superseding the long-taught “10 Regeln der DGE” — the old page now redirects.
New anchors: legumes at least weekly (125 g cooked), a small daily handful of nuts (~25 g), dairy twice a day (down from three), and at most 300 g of meat and sausage per week.
The DGE-Ernährungskreis was revised alongside it. The circle no longer publishes segment percentages and now states a balance of more than three-quarters plant to less than one-quarter animal foods.
What it means: German copy that still cites the 10 Regeln or the old circle percentages is out of date — see our DGE recommendations and DGE-Ernährungskreis pages.
Sources: dge.de (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung)