The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is condemning as flawed the Food Compass study funded in part by alternative meat promoter Bill Gates.

The Food Compass nutrient profiling system scores foods from best to worst on a scale of 0 to 100, ranking products like peanut M&Ms, Coco Puffs and potato chips as more healthful than beef.

“The idea that M&Ms, potato chips and cereal are somehow healthier than natural beef ignores scientific evidence and frankly doesn’t measure up to logic,” said Colin Woodall, NCBA CEO.

“These snack foods are high in sugar, carbohydrates and fats, while beef is a nutrient-rich food that provides essential protein, iron, zinc and numerous B vitamins,” he said.

No one sits down to a plate of candy and chips expecting a healthy meal, but a lean cut of beef accompanied by vegetables or fruits and whole grains is a healthy choice every time, he said.

“To suggest otherwise is irresponsible, and it confuses consumers at a time when we should be working to meet their nutritional needs, rather than confounding them with agenda-driven faux science,” he said.”

The nutrient profiling system was developed by Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and dean of Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

His resume on Tufts’ website lists at least $6.2 million in research funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation between 2012 and 2021.

Earlier this year, NCBA called out Bill Gates for suggesting consumers in wealthy nations should switch from real beef — whose production only accounts for 2% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions — to synthetic beef as a solution to climate change.

Instead of focusing on reducing emissions from the energy or transportation sectors, Gates chooses to focus on beef because he is heavily invested in the same fake meat companies he is promoting, Woodall said at the time.

NCBA continuously highlights beef’s role in a healthy diet as an authentic source of high-quality protein and essential nutrients.

Animal proteins such as beef are among the most nutrient-dense, complete protein sources available, and cattle farmers and ranchers are committed to producing high-quality protein in the most sustainable way possible, NCBA said.

NCBA is a tireless advocate for America’s beef farmers and ranchers and will continue highlighting the nutritional, environmental and economic benefits of real beef, it said.

The Food Compass study was published in October 2021.

The Food Compass list of food ratings can be found at: https://bit.ly/3dw5XUX