The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is lobbying to
change the United States federal government’s proposed dietary guidelines,
inviting the public to fight for their hot dogs.
NAMI has set up a website, Change.org ,
to “inject some common sense” into the guidelines recently unveiled by the
federal agriculture department and the Health and Human Services department.
“Hot dog, sausage, bacon and
salami lovers throughout the land stand together as Americans in favor of a
balanced diet that includes meat and poultry of all kinds,” says NAMI.
“We stand together as people who value
personal choice and reject taxes on foods that elite academics deem unhealthy.
“We assert ourselves as intelligent,
free thinking people capable of making decisions that are best for our families’
nutrition needs, traditions and personal budgets,” the petition says.
“In response to the Dietary Guidelines
Advisory Committee’s recent, anemic recommendations to eat lower amounts of red
and processed meats we say, unequivocally and without hesitation, ‘Hands off my
hot dog!’”
NAMI chief executive Barry Carpenter
says “we hope our petition will give a voice to the 95 percent of Americans who
make meat and poultry part of a balanced diet and who want to ensure that no
restrictions or taxes are placed upon their dietary choices.”
