Although the weather was quite all right yesterday (in Lincoln we reached 45 degrees) I still think an appropriate title for yesterday is "in like a lion". The beginning of March means different things to different people. To me it is a sign that spring is soon to come, half of the semester is left, and now for 2012 it marks the date for new regulation in how fresh meat is sold in the US. After yesterday nutrition labels are required on ground beef, pork, and poultry packages. Nutrition labels are also required and on or near major cuts of meat and poultry sold in supermarkets (ribeye steaks, pork chops, chicken breast, etc.). The theory behind this regulation is to confirm for consumers "that lean meat and poultry products are an important part of a healthy balanced diet." With this regulation consumers will be able to make their purchasing decisions based on the amount of calories, total fat, % protein, etc. available in fresh meat products.
It will be interesting to see if the required nutrition labels will have an affect on consumer purchase patterns for items higher in fat such as ground beef and pork (100 calories from fat out of 190 total). Nutrition labels have been required for processed meat products such as bacon, ham, and chicken nuggets for years. These products contain a higher amount of calories, calories from fat, sodium content, and cholesterol when compared to that of fresh meat. But due to their convenience they have been able to survive caloric criticisms. Nonetheless, with nutrition labels present on all meat products, hopefully consumers will become aware of how nutrient dense meat products are. There are 29 lean cuts of beef, pork, and lamb that contain the same, or less, amount of fat found in a chicken thigh. Meat has also been noted as the best way to satisfy hunger due to the high content and energy value of protein. It is also just plain tasty!
In other news, this weekend I am headed to the Farm Animal Integrated Research (FAIR) conference in Arlington, VA. I am going to be a graduate student recorder for the conference and must admit I am PUMPED!! The FAIR conference objectives for the 2012 meetings are to demonstrate the importance of animal agriculture to society and the impact of the global market place on animal agriculture. Either way I am sure the introduction of nutrition labeling of fresh meat will be a topic of discussion. And I will be ready to report when I return to the Midwest!
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