New research links healthy eating with potential labor risks
As Americans consider what to put on their plates based on taste, price, and nutrition, researchers are highlighting a tougher question: could pursuing healthier diets increase exposure to exploited workers? A new study by Tufts University and the University of Nottingham Rights Lab and School of Geography quantifies the risk of forced labor behind ingredients in five diet patterns recommended in U.S. guidelines and typical American eating habits. The findings, published in Nature Food on October 8, offer a framework for policymakers and institutions that buy food at scale to balance health, ethics, and sustainability.
How the study was conducted
Researchers evaluated more than 200 commonly consumed foods across five dietary patterns: the Healthy U.S.-Style Diet, the Healthy Mediterranean-Style Diet, the Healthy Vegetarian Diet, the 2019 EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet, and the current average American diet based on NHANES data. Each food item was rated on a forced labor risk scale according to where and how it is grown, harvested, or processed in the United States. The analysis reveals how the mix of foods in each diet influences overall risk, rather than making blanket claims about any single dietary pattern.
Key findings: where risk rises and where it falls
Across all five diets, protein foods emerged as the largest source of potential forced labor risk. Yet the drivers of risk differed depending on the diet’s composition. When livestock farming is considered—slaughter, meat processing, and feed production—the risk often increases. For fruits that require hand-picking or nuts that need manual shelling, the likelihood of exploited labor also climbs. The fishing industry, in particular, presents a notably high risk compared with many other food sectors.
Notably, the Mediterranean-style pattern, which emphasizes seafood and plant-based elements with some dairy and red meat, showed higher labor risk than the current average American diet, largely due to seafood and dairy contributions and certain fruit categories. The U.S.-style pattern, with higher dairy intake, also demonstrated elevated risk, driven by dairy’s role in the overall assessment.
In contrast, the Healthy Vegetarian and Planetary Health diets tended to present lower overall risk. These plant-forward patterns reduce exposure to animal farming and certain high-risk food groups; however, they are not risk-free. Nuts and seeds, important in both patterns, were outsized contributors to risk, underscoring that even healthy choices have complex labor implications.
What this means for policy, procurement, and everyday choices
The authors emphasize that shifting individual plates alone will not resolve forced labor issues in global supply chains. Yet the work has important implications for how governments and institutions procure food for large programs. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans influence meals in schools and public programs, while cities and institutions adopting the Planetary Health Diet for procurement are effectively shaping demand.
Jessica Decker Sparks, assistant professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, notes that the study should be viewed as a starting point for equity-centered dietary transitions. She highlights that solutions must involve workers’ leadership and binding protections to prevent retaliation. The study aligns with practical steps like the Fair Food Program, which demonstrates how farmworkers can influence safer, fairer practices when empowered partners sit at the table. Strengthening trade policies to prevent imports produced with forced labor can also help level the playing field for companies that respect labor rights.
Toward a more just and healthful food system
The researchers hope their framework will guide communities in balancing health, sustainability, and human rights. As they write, the goal is to shape dietary transitions that advance equity and justice alongside personal health and planetary well-being. By identifying where risk originates within different dietary patterns, policymakers can design targeted interventions, from supply-chain transparency to labor-rights enforcement, ensuring that healthy eating does not come at the expense of exploited workers.
About the research
The study was conducted by researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, and the University of Nottingham Rights Lab and School of Geography. It assesses forced labor risk in five dietary patterns through a comprehensive review of hundreds of food items and supply-chain considerations, with implications for national guidelines and large-scale procurement policies.
