LOS ANGELES – Coming soon to a grocery store near you: Those nutrition labels slapped on everything from cereal to soda pop will soon be required on packages of meat.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday morning that the new rule, slated to go into effect Jan. 1, 2012, requires that 40 of the most common cuts of poultry, pork, beef and lamb include labels that disclose to consumers the total number of calories, the number of calories from fat and the total grams of fat and saturated fat.

The labels also must include details about protein, cholesterol, sodium and vitamins in the product, according to federal officials.

The rule will apply to whole cuts of meat and poultry, including boneless chicken breast, tenderloin steak and ground or chopped meat such as hamburger or turkey, said officials for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The new nutrition labels will either need to be attached to the package itself or be available to shoppers at retail stores and grocers, officials said.

USDA officials say the new rule is designed to help American consumers be better informed about the health benefits and drawbacks of the meats they buy.

All this comes as consumer advocates and lawmakers alike rail against the obesity problem among American children, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that American men consume 7 percent more calories — and women 18 percent more — than they did in 1971.

The “nutrition facts” labels were revised in the early 1990s to give consumers uniform information about serving sizes and nutrients and became mandatory on virtually all processed food by 1994. Meat, except under a voluntary measure, was left out of the overhaul.

 

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