THE US government is expected to eliminate from its dietary guidelines the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day, according to three sources familiar with the matter, in what could be a major win for an industry threatened by heightened scrutiny of alcohol’s health effects.

The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which could be released as early as this month, are expected to include a brief statement encouraging Americans to drink in moderation or limit alcohol intake due to associated health risks, the sources said.

The guidelines are still under development and subject to change, two of the sources and a fourth individual familiar with the process said.

Currently, the recommendations advise limiting drinking to one serving or less per day for women and two or less for men, widely seen as a moderate level.

Similar guidelines exist in countries such as the United Kingdom, which advises limiting drinking to 14 units per week. In Canada, a government-backed report in 2023 warned that health risks begin to increase after just two drinks per week, though government guidance online still recommends no more than two or three drinks per day, depending on gender.

Even moderate drinking is linked to some health risks, such as a higher risk of breast cancer, though some studies have also found an association with possible health benefits, such as a lower risk of stroke.

The fourth source said that the scientific basis for recommending specific daily limits is limited, and the goal is to ensure the guidelines reflect only the most robust evidence.

The new guidelines, developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture, are closely watched internationally and influence policies ranging from school lunch programs to medical advice. Neither department responded to requests for comment.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a known teetotaler, has remained largely silent on alcohol but has emphasized a focus on whole foods in the upcoming guidelines.

Some alcohol executives had feared a move towards tighter recommendations on alcohol intake as authorities such as the World Health Organization upped their warnings about alcohol’s health risks.

Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer and called for warning labels on alcoholic drinks.

Major industry players, including Diageo and Anheuser-Busch InBev, have lobbied lawmakers throughout the review process. Senate records show the companies spent millions on lobbying efforts related to the guidelines and a range of other issues such as tax and trade in 2024 and 2025. Both companies declined to comment.

Shares in alcohol companies rose shortly after the announcement, with both AB InBev and Diageo’s shares hitting an intraday high.

The new guidelines are set to move away from suggesting consumers limit alcohol consumption to a specific number of daily servings, according to the three sources, who asked not to be named to speak freely.

One person said the new alcohol-related recommendation will probably be limited to a sentence or two. Another said the existing numbers tied to moderate drinking could still appear in a longer appendix.

While industry representatives have lobbied lawmakers on the guidelines or how they should be decided, some officials and researchers advocated for tighter restrictions.

Reports intended to inform the guidelines have meanwhile drawn different conclusions about alcohol’s health effects and the science around this.

‘UNHELPFUL’
Science Over Bias, a group representing US growers, producers, distributors, and retailers of beer, wine, and spirits, said the industry has consistently maintained that the guidelines should be determined by sound scientific evidence and free from bias or conflicts of interest.

“Information on responsible alcohol consumption has been part of the Dietary Guidelines for decades and has provided useful guidance for consumers who choose to consume alcohol and their health care providers,” the group said.

The guidelines, which are reviewed every five years, have advised drinking in moderation and defined that as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two for men since 1990.

Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit focused on nutrition, health, and food safety, said the more general language expected in the guidelines was “so vague as to be unhelpful.”

Under such a change, the message that even moderate drinking can increase risks, especially for breast cancer, would get lost, she continued.

Two studies were produced to inform the development of the guidelines. The first found that moderate drinking was associated with increased risk of some cancers, but a decreased risk of dying from any cause and some cardiovascular problems like stroke.

The evidence for some other health impacts was insufficient to draw conclusions, it found.

The other report conversely found the risk of dying from alcohol use, including increased risk for seven cancers, begins at any or low levels of alcohol use and increases with higher consumption. — Reuters

MILAN — A celebrity wedding party for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez in Venice this week has been moved to an isolated, less accessible part of the lagoon city on security concerns and to prevent the risk of protests, sources said.

The billionaire tech-tycoon and his fiancée had earmarked a location in Cannaregio to celebrate after their marriage, a popular and central nightlife area, but fears of demonstrations led to a change of plan, the sources added.

For weeks some local residents and pressure groups have been complaining that the event will turn the scenic city of gondolas and palazzi into a private amusement park for the rich, and threatened peaceful blockades.

After the wedding ceremony, whose location and exact date remain secret, although it is expected to be between Thursday and Saturday, some 200-250 VIP guests from show business, politics, and finance will now head to a hall of the Arsenale, a vast 14^th century complex in the eastern Castello district.

Surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when connecting bridges are raised, the hall is considered a safer venue than Cannaregio’s Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a medieval former religious school.

Originally a giant shipyard serving the Venetian Republic’s maritime empire, the Arsenale has been restored and converted into an exhibition space for the Venice Biennale art fair.

Mr. Bezos, 61, executive chair of e-commerce giant Amazon and No. 4 on Forbes’ billionaires list, got engaged to Ms. Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott.

The couple’s decision to marry in Venice follows other celebrity weddings in the floating city, such as that of US actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014.

“The news that Bezos has run away from the Misericordia is a great victory for us,” said Tommaso Cacciari, a leader of the “No Space for Bezos” campaign that is leading the anti-wedding front.

The group has announced more protests for Saturday on Venice’s canals, bridges, and narrow streets, pledging to make the event a “nightmare” for Mr. Bezos and his guests.

Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region that comprises the city, criticized the protests, saying the 90 private jets carrying guests to nearby airports would bring revenue of up to €48 million ($55.69 million) to local businesses.

US President Donald J. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have been holidaying in Tuscany, visited the factory of luxury sports car maker Ferrari on their way to the Venice wedding, a source familiar with their movements said. — Reuters

HONG KONG — China said on Tuesday that consumers should “rationally resist bad content” of extreme eating shows, which have boomed online, because they cause “heartbreaking” food waste and spread “unhealthy” ideas about food.

Extreme eating shows in China have included people eating as many cups of instant noodles as possible, devouring dumplings, and wolfing down hamburgers.

The statement from China’s Consumer Association is the latest effort to curb people’s appetite for online eating shows, which remain widely streamed in the world’s second-largest economy even after attempts to more tightly regulate the industry in 2020.

The shows attract hoards of followers who are keen to watch people consuming copious amounts of food, including very spicy dishes.

Some online platforms are “now full of extreme eating shows, which use the food intake that challenges the physiological limits of human beings,” the statement said.

“Not only does it seriously deviate from the true connotation of food culture, but it also causes heartbreaking food waste.”

The shows trample on China’s traditional virtues of diligence and thrift, the association added, and also spread “unhealthy and irrational” ideas about eating that could harm young people.

“Every porridge and every meal should be thought of as hard-earned,” it said.

China in 2020 strengthened regulation and banned clips that promoted food waste. It passed a law in 2021 to combat food waste while last year authorities also unveiled an action plan to boost food production while reducing waste.

The association urged consumers not to follow, like, or forward extreme eating shows and to actively block related accounts or channels.

Show creators must refuse waste and not plan, produce, or publish extreme eating content, it said.

“The focus of creation should be shifted to exploring the cultural connotation of the true nature of food.” The statement comes a week after Beijing ordered some civil servants not to dine out in groups of more than three after deaths linked to excessive alcohol consumption at banquets.

China is also battling rising obesity, particularly among children, after physical activity dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic and people ordered more fast food online. — Reuters