Nutrition Labels for Meat Debut in 2012

Nutrition Labels for Meat Debut in 2012

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that nutrition labels will be required on meats beginning January 1, 2012. Nutrition labels currently appear on most other foods sold in the grocery store.
The new labels will list calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, protein and vitamins for 40 of the most commonly purchased cuts of beef, poultry, pork and lamb. This information will help consumers make wise decisions about the calories they are consuming from food items used in meal preparation.
Nutrition Facts labels were first required on many foods in 1993, but meat was not included except under a voluntary provision. By publishing the rule in the Federal Register, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has begun the process of making them mandatory.