010455 USDA Moves Forward on Meat Labels

Washington - The Bush administration is going forward with a proposal to require ground meat to carry nutrition labels similar to those on boxes and cans of processed foods.

The requirement was proposed in January during the final days of the Clinton administration.

“This proposed rule is important to help consumers make informed dietary decisions,” Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said.

The department extended a public comment period, which was to have expired Wednesday, until July 18. Trade associations and consumer groups told the department they needed more time to prepare a response to the proposal.

“USDA looks forward to working with all interested parties to ensure that the final rule provides consumers accurate nutritional information,” Veneman said.

The administration has been gradually acting on a number of proposed rules adopted by the Clinton administration in its waning days. In February, the Agriculture Department decided to go forward with new microbial testing requirements for plants that produce hot dogs, cold cuts and other precooked meats.

Bush administration officials said they could have legally dropped the meat- labeling plan and written an alternative. The department is required by law to impose nutrition labeling if fewer than 60% of stores aren't posting meat nutrition information voluntarily. About 55% of stores currently post nutrition information for meat.

“We're afraid the industry requested an extension of time to try to build a case against expanding nutrition labeling to meat and poultry,” said Bruce Silverglade, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. “We hope that the general public will also make use of the time extension to make it's views known to the Department of Agriculture.”

Only ground meat and poultry would have to have labels on their packages under the USDA proposal. For fresh meat cuts such as beef steaks and pork tenderloin, nutrition information could be either on package labels or posted in the supermarket meat case.

The department said ground meat varies so significantly in its fat and nutrient content that consumers cannot make comparisons unless each individual package is labeled. Some consumer advocates say all meat should be individually labeled.

Janet Riley, a spokeswoman for the meatpackers' American Meat Institute, said it would be costly and impractical even to require ground meat to be labeled. Stores that grind and blend their own meat, still a common practice, would all need machines to analyze the fat content, she said.

A cooked 3-ounce patty of 80% lean ground beef has 6 grams of saturated fat, 30% of the recommended daily limit for an average person. By comparison, a 93% lean patty has half as much fat. A 4-ounce serving of chicken with skin has 3 grams of saturated fat. Without the skin, it has 1 gram.

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