Changes to Nutritional Labeling for Processed Meat Could be on the Cards

02 Dec 2016 --- The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have proposed steps to ensure that consumers have updated nutritional information for meat and poultry products, helping Americans make better-informed decisions when purchasing meat and poultry products.

FSIS is proposing to amend the nutrition labeling regulations for meat and poultry products to parallel the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) final nutrition regulations, which were published on May 27, 2016.

The proposed rule aims to improve the presentation of nutrition information to assist consumers in maintaining healthy dietary practices.

“This new rule will provide more transparency on nutrition labels so that American consumers can make informed decisions about the foods they eat and feed their families,” said Alfred Almanza, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA.

“The new nutrition facts panel will complement the many other proactive, prevention-based food policies that we've put in place in recent years.”

Specifically, the FSIS 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.

However, the proposal comes at the same time the nonprofit watchdog, Center for Science in the Public Interest, has filed a petition citing the findings of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which concluded in 2015 that processed meat is “carcinogenic to humans.”

It suggests that eating 50 grams per day of processed meat raises one’s risk of colorectal cancer by about 18 percent. A typical serving of ham, sausage, bologna, or hot dog weighs about 55 grams (about 2 ounces).

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and will cause about 49,150 deaths in 2016, according to the American Cancer Society. The ACS urges consumers to “minimize consumption of processed meats such as bacon, sausage, luncheon meats, and hot dogs.”

“Consumers deserve these warning labels to help them make informed choices about the foods they eat,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson.

“Consumers who want to reduce their cancer risk may avoid processed meats or eat them much less often; other people may simply ignore the label. But without question, USDA should give people that choice.”

CSPI’s petition says USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has the authority to require the labels under the Federal Meat Inspection Act.

They claim the FSIS uses similar authority to require special labeling for meats processed without nitrate or nitrite and for mechanically tenderized meat.

According to CSPI senior food safety attorney, David Plunkett, to protect the public’s health, USDA is obligated to require the industry to inform consumers about the risk of consuming processed meats,

CSPI is asking for labels of all meat and poultry products preserved by smoking, curing, salting, and/or the addition of chemical preservatives to bear this message: USDA WARNING: Frequent consumption of processed meat products may increase your risk of developing cancer of the colon and rectum.