Nutrition labels now required for fresh meat, poultry products

WASHINGTON — Starting today, the USDA will require nutrition labels on ground meat and poultry packages and on or near major cuts of meat and poultry sold in supermarkets, according to a press release.

This final rule has been in progress for more than a decade.

"Nutrition labels have been required on processed meat and poultry products like bacon, ham and marinated pork loins for many years. Many fresh single ingredient meat and poultry products like steak, tenderloins and ground beef, also have carried labels voluntarily. Now, this valuable information will be offered more widely and will provide a pleasant nutrition surprise to many meat and poultry consumers,” American Meat Institute President J. Patrick Boyle said.