This presentation focuses on how speciesism and capitalist interests are entangled and constitute implicit central elements in the making of national nutritional guidelines and the mainstream discourse on healthy eating. This will be explored taking as an example the case of Estonia, a post-socialist Eastern European country, where neoliberalism as a governing rationality has been strongly present since the country`s gaining of re-independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In contemporary Estonia, capitalism is widely seen as the only legitimate economic system, with any alternatives (especially those leaning towards socialism) considered utopian or undesirable, especially given the recent communist past. While some new social movements, such as the feminist movement and the animal advocacy movement have emerged, and become rather vocal, they have not thus far engaged in the critique of capitalism and consumption.

The new Estonian nutritional guidelines, published in 2016, are inspired, according to their authors by nutritional guidelines of the Nordic countries. However, in reality, they differ from those significantly, as well as from the guidelines of major nutritional organizations, particularly in their emphasis on the need to consume animal products and the presentation of veganism as an unviable diet for human health. The new Estonian nutritional guidelines stipulate a minimum percentage of protein, which must come from animal sources: for children and youngsters - 75% and for adults - 60%. These guidelines are not only influential, but also in fact binding to institutions such as hospitals, schools and kindergartens. As the Estonian Vegan Society has pointed out, the adoption of these guidelines might lead to absurd situations where legumes and other plant-based protein sources might be excluded from school meals because the upper protein limit has already been reached by the inclusion animal products in the menu.

To this day, the vast majority of Estonian doctors and health professionals do not recommend or endorse a vegan diet; moreover, many warn of the dangers of veganism to human health. Opinions of leading nutritionists, sometimes featured in the media, are openly hostile towards veganism, and national nutritional guidelines do not consider plant-based diets healthy or even as suitable for humans.

In Estonia, scientists and nutritionists are working closely with animal farmers to produce animal biotechnologies and medical and nutritional knowledge. For example, leading scientists and businesses are working jointly to develop "healthy dairy products" and publish academic research on this in the biotechnology institution named Bio-competence Centre of Healthy Dairy Products. Hence, particular business interests are very much present in the (re)production of dominant discourses regarding the benefits of animal products to human health, packaged in and legitimized through scientific and medical narratives. This close networking and collaboration between science and business is facilitated by the smallness of the Estonian society.

The introduction of a fixed percentage of animal protein in meals, as set by the new nutritional guidelines could also be seen as an attempt to boost the dairy and meat industry, which has been struggling to survive in the past few years.

Thus far, the only critical voice attempting to oppose the adoption of these new nutritional guidelines has been the Estonian Vegan Society. No media outlet or journalist has thus far taken an interest in exploring further the obvious business interests that are at the heart of the making of the new national nutritional guidelines. This is an indication of how speciesism, especially when entangled with capitalism, constitutes a hegemonic norm, which remains unchallenged. Within the past six months in fact, some leading journalists writing in the mainstream media have warned the public from the dangers of veganism, especially when "forced on" children, at the same time promoting the consumption of meat and dairy products. This discourse is implicitly gendered, as vegan mothers (in fact, the majority of vegans in Estonia are women) are depicted as irresponsible and even worse, as damaging their children.

It is hence crucial to explore these intersections (speciesism, capitalism, human nutrition, gender and neoliberalism, as well as government) from the perspective of critical animal studies to shed light on ways in which capitalist interests are intimately intertwined with the making of nutritional science.

My analysis draws on the Estonian national nutritional guidelines published by The National Institute of Health Development. As secondary research materials, I consider other documents and communication around the development of these guidelines, for example relevant information published on the NIHD website, related to the publication of the guidelines (press releases etc.). I will refer to e-mail communication between the representatives of the NIHD and the Estonian Vegan Society who has been attempting to challenge the new nutritional guidelines` recommendation of high intakes of animal protein. To contextualize the analysis in the broader public discourse on healthy eating in Estonia, I also consider how the topic of nutrition has been debated in major Estonian media outlets in 2016.