Popular cuts of meat and poultry will be required to have nutritional information on their packaging in the coming year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced late in 2010 that it would require retailers to make the information available in 2012.
"More and more, busy American families want nutrition information that they can quickly and easily understand," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "We need to do all we can to provide nutrition labels that will help consumers make informed decisions.”
Ground or chopped meat and poultry will feature nutrition panels on their labels, and whole, raw cuts of meat and poultry will have nutrition panels either on their labels or available for shoppers at the point of purchase.
The panels will include the number of calories and the grams of total fat and saturated fat a product contains. Any product that lists a lean percentage statement, such as "76% lean," on its label also will list its fat percentage, making it easier for consumers to understand the amounts of lean protein and fat in their purchases.
Examples of the major cuts of raw, single-ingredient products include whole or boneless chicken breasts and beef brisket or tenderloin steak. Examples of ground or chopped products include hamburger and ground turkey.
Generally speaking, the new regulation is a plus for consumers, said Spencer Neale, a commodity marketing specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “The more information a consumer can have regarding the nutritional aspects of food they are buying, the better,” he said. At the same time, “we also need to understand that additional labeling does come at some cost, maybe nominal, to the industry that needs to be absorbed somewhere within the supply chain.
“Ideally, the value of this information from a nutritional standpoint will outweigh any added costs in the minds of consumers.
Consumers with questions about the new labels can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888- 674-6854 weekdays from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m.