Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 12/31/10

USDA’s final rules for nutrition labeling of meat and poultry provide no new consumer benefit, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Under the rules, packages of ground beef and ground poultry must bear nutrition facts labels by January 2012. However, CSPI said in a statement that most ground beef already bears such labeling.

The group had urged USDA to prohibit "percent lean" statements on labels of ground meat, claiming that research indicates that terms such as  "80 percent lean" misleads consumers into thinking the ground beef is lower in fat than it really is. CSPI noted the term "low fat," as defined by the FDA could not be used on products that contain more than 3 grams of fat per serving.  

"Use of the word 'lean' in the context of ground beef is designed to deceive," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "The meat industry has insisted on labeling ground meat that way to make ground beef appear leaner. Consumers assume that they are following advice to eat lean meat when they purchase ground beef that is 80 percent lean, yet it is one of the fattiest meats on the market. Nutrition Facts labels don't correct that deception."

CSPI also voiced dismay over the rule allowing signs in supermarkets in lieu of labels for steaks, chops, roasts, and other cuts of meat, saying the signs are hard to find, difficult to decipher, and show nutrition information for 4-ounce servings, which it said understates the calorie and fat content of typical servings of steaks.

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