23rd January 2025

The Directorate of Health‘s Dietary recommendations are based on the best scientific knowledge

Various misrepresentations have been made in the recent public discussion about dietary recommendations. For this reason, the Directorate of Health considers it important to emphasise that these recommendations consider the needs of healthy individuals and do not include absolute commands or prohibitions of any food item. On the contrary, the main theme of these recommendations is consuming a varied diet while being aware of the potential harmful effects of excessive consumption of red meat, ultra-processed foods, and products containing high amounts of saturated fat and/or added sugars.

-Automatic translation

Due to these recent circumstances, the Directorate of Health wants to emphasise that dietary recommendations published in Iceland are based on the best scientific knowledge available at any given time. The Directorate of Health expects to publish new recommendations within a few weeks and has already presented them to various stakeholders.

These new recommendations are based on the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations published in 2023 and also take into account Icelanders' diets. The latest information on adults' dietary habits was collected in 2019-2021.

The Nordic recommendations were developed under the Nordic Council of Ministers by an expert group with representatives from health and food authorities from all Nordic countries. The work was extensive and lasted five years. About 400 experts in the Nordic countries reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses and wrote chapters about different nutrients and food groups. Each chapter was published for comment on the recommendations' website, totaling about 70 chapters. The process was, therefore, transparent, with all comments and responses also published. The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations were first published in 1980 and have been revised six times over more than 40 years.

In 2024, an advisory group from the academic community and relevant institutions has been involved in reviewing Icelandic dietary recommendations. New dietary reference values for energy and nutrients, which form the basis for dietary recommendations, have already been published. Similar recommendations have also been published in Denmark, Norway, and Finland, with Sweden planning to publish in the coming weeks. The only difference between countries lies in varying food cultures, such as the traditional diet that can differ between countries and different accessibility to some foods.

Furthermore, the Directorate wants to emphasise that quality work was undertaken to carry through Nordic and new recommendations for Iceland, based on strong scientific evidence and carried out by independent experts without conflict of interest. These recommendations are primarily intended for healthy people to support and promote health in both the short and long term and decrease the risk of various diseases. Individuals dealing with health challenges or specific diseases may need more specific recommendations and support with their eating habits. When such personalised guidance is needed, a licensed nutritionist or licensed dietician should provide such advice or are consulted.

More information
Kjartan Hreinn Njálsson, assistant to the Medical Director of Health
kjartan.h.njalsson@landlaeknir.is