USDA proposes revisions to Nutrition Facts panel for meat and poultry products
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed revisions to the Nutrition Facts panel for meat and poultry products, amending regulations published in May 2016.
The proposed rule will improve the presentation of nutrition information to assist consumers in maintaining healthy dietary practices, said Alfred Almanza, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA.
USDA is proposing to:
- Update the list of nutrients that are required or permitted to be declared;
- Provide updated Daily Reference Values (DRVs) and Reference Daily Intake (RDI) values that are based on current dietary recommendations from consensus reports;
- Amend the labeling requirements for foods represented or purported to be specifically for children under the age of 4 years and pregnant women and lactating women and establish nutrient reference values specifically for these population subgroups;
- Revise the format and appearance of the Nutrition Facts label;
- Amend the definition of a single-serving container;
- Require dual-column labeling for certain containers;
- Update and modify several reference amounts customarily consumed (RACCs or reference amounts); and
- Consolidate the nutrition labeling regulations for meat and poultry products into a new Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part.
The proposal can be viewed on the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website HERE, while there will be 60 days for public comment from the date of publication in the federal register.
