White House has exceeded its 90-day limit on review of USDA’s new meat and poultry labels, a rule aimed at bringing the department’s standards in line with the Nutrition Facts panel, which FDA updated this spring. Because USDA regulates most meat and poultry products, an update was needed to make sure labels reflect the most recent nutrition science and dietary recommendations. For example, the “calories from fat” listing is slated to be removed from the label because research shows that the type of fat is more important than the amount, and serving sizes are in line to be changed to reflect how much people actually eat in one sitting.
But as time runs out on the Obama administration, the short delay over what is seen as a non-controversial final rule is a reminder that USDA is under pressure to clear a host of priorities.
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