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USDA To Require Nutrition Labels for Meat

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that it will require 40 of the most popular cuts of meat and poultry products to feature Nutrition Facts panels on their package labels by January 1, 2012.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on Wednesday that it will require 40 of the most popular cuts of meat and poultry products to feature nutrition facts panels on their package labels by January 1, 2012.

The panels will include the number of calories in each product, as well as grams of total fat and saturated fat. Products that include a lean percentage statement, such as "76% lean", will also be required to list fat percentage, to help consumers better understand the amount of lean protein and fat in a product.

A USDA announcement listed examples of products that would be required to carry the new labels, including whole or boneless chicken breasts, ground turkey, beef whole cuts such as brisket or tenderloin steaks and ground hamburger.

"We need to do all we can to provide nutrition labels that will help consumers make informed decisions," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services work hard to provide the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years, and now consumers will have another tool to help them follow these guidelines."

TAGS: Meat