Forced Labor Risk Across U.S. Dietary Patterns

Hidden Ethical Risks in Dietary Patterns

Healthcare professionals often emphasize healthy eating for patients, but rarely consider the human rights dimension behind food production. Recent research from Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition and the University of Nottingham Rights Lab analyzed five common dietary patterns to quantify forced labor risks. Evaluating over 200 foods, the study highlights that even federally recommended diets may carry ethical concerns, revealing crucial considerations for clinicians, dietitians, and public health policymakers. Understanding these risks can inform discussions on patient guidance, institutional food procurement, and broader ethical nutrition initiatives.

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Forced Labor Risk Across Dietary Patterns

The researchers examined:

• Healthy U.S.-Style Diet
• Healthy Mediterranean-Style Diet
• Healthy Vegetarian Diet
• EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet

Current Average American Diet

Protein-rich foods, dairy, red meat, and seafood were identified as the largest contributors to forced labor risk across the patterns. The Mediterranean Diet, with seafood and red meat, and the U.S.-Style Diet, with high dairy, showed higher labor risk compared to the current American diet. Plant-based Vegetarian and Planetary Health dietary patterns demonstrated lower risk, although nuts and seeds still presented moderate concerns.

For HCPs, these findings emphasize that dietary patterns not only affect health outcomes but also carry social and ethical implications, important when guiding patients who prioritize sustainability and fairness in food production.

Implications for Clinical Practice and Policy

Understanding forced labor in diet patterns equips healthcare providers to integrate ethical considerations into nutrition counseling. Programs like the Fair Food Program and import regulations targeting products made with forced labor offer pathways to reduce risk. Clinicians can leverage this insight when advising patients on school meal programs, community food initiatives, or patient-specific dietary planning, aligning nutrition guidance with health, sustainability, and social equity.

Lead author Jessica Decker Sparks notes that,

“Empowering workers to influence supply chains is crucial to mitigate exploitation while maintaining safe and healthy dietary patterns.”

Promote Ethical and Healthy Dietary Choices

This research underscores that dietary patterns matter not only for health outcomes but also for ethical responsibility. By considering labor practices, healthcare professionals can encourage nutrition choices that support both patient well-being and worker rights.

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Tufts University