Meat Nutrition Labeling

There are many nutrition label requirements and making sure that you follow them all can get overwhelming. Required nutrients are those that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined impact common health issues and need disclosed. Before production begins at YL, we review each of our labels against our knowledge of adherence to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Labeling Guide. Any concerns for compliance are noted and returned to the customer.

 

Serving Size & Suggestion

As all nutrition information is based upon an exact serving size, this and the servings per package are arguably the most important part of the nutrition label. In 1990 the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act was passed because consumers had difficulty comparing one product to another. If there is a Net Weight on the package, the serving size has to be an accurate number (ie. cannot say “varies” or “varied”). Also, a serving suggestion note should be added to finished plate shots on the label.  

 

Fat

Lean / Fat Percentages must both be stated and be the same size, type should be at least 1/3 height of the statement of identity and should not be included in the Nutrition Panel section.

 

Ingredients

The ingredient statement should start with the word ingredient in bold. All ingredient breakdowns should be listed accurately and if there are any allergens, they should be listed at the end, following the word “Contains” in bold.

 

Nutrition Panel

Nutritional Panel should be full size, correct fonts and on a light-colored background. Servings per container should be accurate if the product features a net weight. Grinds need to have a vertical panel.

 

Safe Handling Instructions

Safe Handling Instructions should always be at least 1/16” (6-point type) and have a light-colored or neutral background. If you lay out a panel with upper and lowercase, the lowercase needs to be 1/16” tall. The headline needs to be 7 or 8 point. Text can get excessively big if it’s upper and lower case, so the most common practice is to use all caps at 1/16”.

 

Legends

Legends should be legible and on a light-colored background. “U.S.” and the establishment number should be bolder than the other text in the legend. The size should be around ½”.

 

Net Weight

Net Weight should be featured in the bottom 1/3 of the label. It needs to have “N Space” above, below and to both sides where there are no other text or images. Do not round up any measurements. The size of the net weight is determined by the square inches of the label.

 

For more information on this topic, visit FDA.gov or Reach Out to us today!

*Disclaimer: Although Yerecic Label reviews all meat labels based on FDA guidelines, it is the customer’s final responsibility to ensure the proof is up to date with the most recent legislation.*