U.S. to Require Nutrition Labeling on Meat, Poultry : Health: Rules would complement law covering most other foods. The action had been sought by consumer groups.

The government, in a step long sought by consumer groups, announced Friday that it intends to require nutrition labeling on meat and poultry, an action that would complement a new law covering most other foods.

“We believe consumers deserve more nutrition information on labels of all foods,” Assistant Agriculture Secretary Jo Ann Smith said in announcing that the department would ask for suggestions on how to write its rules.

The announcement represented a change in stance. Last March, Agriculture Secretary Clayton K. Yeutter said he was “not yet persuaded” that mandatory labeling was necessary on meat and poultry products.

One consumer group, Public Voice for Food and Health Policy, applauded Smith’s announcement but said it would continue to seek a federal law ensuring that food labels are consistent.

“We want legislation to back it up,” Jodie Silverman of Public Voice said.

The Food and Drug Administration is in the early stages of implementing the new food labeling law, which covers processed foods, fresh produce and seafood. The law does not cover meat and poultry, which are under jurisdiction of the Agriculture Department.

The law requires labels that tell consumers the number of calories and amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, dietary fiber and carbohydrates in a package. In addition, the size of a “serving” of food will be standardized.

At present, nutrition information is carried on about half of all packaged foods.

In a report issued last summer, the National Academy of Sciences recommended “mandatory and uniform labeling” for all packaged foods. Labels should be easy to read, informative, truthful and consistent, the report said.

Smith pointed to the academy’s backing of mandatory labeling and said: “We endorse that recommendation.”

“Meat and poultry present some unique challenges for nutrition labeling,” Smith said, adding: “How should we deal with fresh products that are often packaged at the retail level? . . . Should labeling information on raw products reflect the nutritional content of the food as purchased or actually consumed?”

The meatpacking industry gave its support to creation of labeling regulations that would be comparable to the food-labeling law.

“It is our hope that, at the end of the regulatory process, we will have in the U.S. marketplace more informative and less confusing nutrition labels on all food products, including meat and poultry,” said Patrick Boyle, president of the American Meat Institute, the trade group representing meatpackers.