USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will host a Webinar on Wednesday, October 12 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the nutrition labeling regulation for poultry and meat, which takes effect on January 1, 2012. During the Webinar, FSIS will provide guidance on the rule for nutrition labeling of single ingredient meat and poultry products and ground or chopped meat and poultry products.
The final rule requires that nutrition information for the major cuts of single-ingredient, raw meat and poultry products be provided on the label or at point-of-purchase, unless an exemption applies. All ground or chopped products, such as ground chicken, beef, pork, and turkey, are also covered by the final rule. Nutrition information for all ground or chopped products must be provided on the label of the products, unless an exemption applies.
The major cuts of single-ingredient, raw meat products are covered by the rule. Specifically, for poultry, the major cuts of single-ingredient, raw poultry products covered are whole chicken (without neck and giblets), chicken breast, chicken wing, chicken drumstick, chicken thigh, whole turkey (without necks and giblets; separate nutrient panels for white and dark meat permitted as an option), turkey breast, turkey wing, turkey drumstick, and turkey thigh.
FSIS explained that certain nutrient values are not out of compliance, unless they are more than 20 percent above the labeled value. That provision applies to the labeled values for calories, sugars, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, or sodium. FSIS regulations also specify that certain nutrient values are not out of compliance, unless they are 20 percent below the labeled value. That provision applies to the labeled values for vitamins, minerals, protein, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, other carbohydrates, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat, or potassium.
FSIS will also conduct Webinars on November 8 and December 13. To access the Webinars, log onto https://connect16.uc.att.com/usda/meet/?ExEventID=85277207 and follow the onscreen instructions. For questions or problems accessing the meeting, contact Natasha Williams at 202-690-6531.
