Nutrition Education Subcommittee

The NIH Nutrition Education Subcommittee (NES), an internal to NIH subcommittee of the NIH Nutrition Research Coordinating Committee, reviews federal nutrition education materials that contain dietary guidance for the general population. A Congressional mandate for reviews of these materials was enacted in 1990 to ensure that nutrition education materials produced by federal agencies are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) and that all agencies within the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) provide consistent nutrition information and advice.

The NES reviews nutrition education materials that are submitted from within the agency or from the Dietary Guidance Review Committee (DGRC). The DGRC is an interagency group represented by most federal agencies, that ensure agency requests are funneled to each agency for review, including the NIH representative. Alternatively, any materials sent to the NES for review are also shared with the DGRC for review to ensure consistency in nutrition education materials across the agencies. 

The materials reviewed can be printed and electronic media such as brochures and fact sheets, web pages, videos, and audio format messages that are intended for the public. Information materials and resources that are intended for nutrition or medical professionals, or intended for use in treating patients (i.e., materials that might be given to a patient from a physician or a dietitian), and materials that are regulatory in nature (e.g., FDA regulations) are excluded from NES reviews. 

For additional information on the NES and to learn more about submitting materials for an NES review, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject heading: NES Inquiry.