FSIS has issued a notice indicating that meat and poultry manufacturers may voluntarily use FDA guidelines on nutrition labeling pending the issuance of updated FSIS Nutrition Facts labeling requirements.

  • As our readership is well aware, FDA finalized its Nutrition Facts labeling requirements on May 20, 2016.  See previous blog coverage here.  Recently, USDA announced that it would update its Nutrition Facts labeling requirements for meat and poultry food products.
  • Today, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice announcing that meat and poultry manufacturers may voluntarily use FDA guidelines on nutrition labeling while FSIS is in the process of drafting its Nutrition Facts labeling rules for meat and poultry products.  Once FSIS publishes a final rule to update the Nutrition Facts label format for meat and poultry products, companies would have to comply with that final rule.
  • It remains to be seen whether, and to what extent, USDA’s updated Nutrition Facts labeling rule will track FDA’s requirements.