Meat labels with nutritional information such as total calories and grams of fat are coming to packages of meat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Wednesday.
Currently, the nutritional labels appear on most prepackaged food like cereal and canned goods, but will extend to containers of ground or chopped meat, as well as various fresh cuts of meat, beginning in 2012.
“More and more, busy American families want nutrition information that they can quickly and easily understand,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
“We need to do all we can to provide nutrition labels that will help consumers make informed decisions. 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.”
In addition to basic nutritional information, any meat product that advertises its lean percentage will also have to display its fat percentage.
The USDA is promoting the new meat labels as a valuable source of nutritional information to help families make informed decisions about their meat consumption.
“The panels should provide consumers with sufficient information at the store to assess the nutrient content of the major cuts, enabling them to select meat and poultry products that fit into a healthy diet that meets their family’s or their individual needs,” a release from the USDA read.
Currently, the nutritional labels appear on most prepackaged food like cereal and canned goods, but will extend to containers of ground or chopped meat, as well as various fresh cuts of meat, beginning in 2012.
“More and more, busy American families want nutrition information that they can quickly and easily understand,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
“We need to do all we can to provide nutrition labels that will help consumers make informed decisions. 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.”
In addition to basic nutritional information, any meat product that advertises its lean percentage will also have to display its fat percentage.
The USDA is promoting the new meat labels as a valuable source of nutritional information to help families make informed decisions about their meat consumption.
“The panels should provide consumers with sufficient information at the store to assess the nutrient content of the major cuts, enabling them to select meat and poultry products that fit into a healthy diet that meets their family’s or their individual needs,” a release from the USDA read.
