When it comes to reducing fat in a diet, most nutritional counselors start with reducing consumption of red meat. However, the meat counter remains one of the few areas of grocery stores where the nutritional content is not listed.

That could soon change. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to finalize regulations for mandatory nutritional labeling of single-ingredient meat products. And the beef industry is all for it.

”We see (this) as an educational opportunity to show that beef is good for you,” says Leah Wilkinson, director of food policy for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). ”We think it provides a great opportunity for consumers to see that.”

Unprocessed meat products were left out of the original labeling requirements in 1994 as part of deal to get nutrition facts on product packaging. Lawmakers stipulated meat-product labeling would remain voluntary as long as 60 percent of retailers and manufacturers provided nutrition information, either through on-package labeling or point-of-purchase information. Participation dropped to 57.7 percent in 1996 and 54.8 percent in 1999.

With some prompting from consumer organizations, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a proposed rule on mandatory labeling in 2001.

Under the proposal, all ground meats – beef, pork, chicken and turkey – would be required to carry on-package labels. Other major cuts of fresh meat would have to provide nutritional information either on the package or through point-of-purchase information.

The agency indicated in December it expected to publish the final rule this February. But a USDA spokesman said that timeline was merely an estimate. It is unclear when the labeling requirement will take effect.

”Red meat is one of the biggest sources of artery-clogging saturated fat for Americans,” said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CPSI). ”Consumers need labels that clearly state how much fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and other nutrients meat contains.”

Jacobson says even when stores have provided the information on a poster, it has been hard to read and often tucked away, out of view of consumers. A CPSI survey in 1996 found that 49 percent of respondents said they have never seen the information.

”Even if every supermarket participated, the voluntary labeling program would be worthless,” he said.

Beef producers have been preparing for the labeling requirement and hope to have labels ready to go as soon as the final rule is ready. Many already provide the nutritional information that is expected to be required. NCBA had done some pilot testing of labels and found consumers were hungry for more information.

”We also learned people don’t like their meat covered up,” said Mary Young, executive director of nutrition for NCBA. ”So you’ve got to be sure that the label doesn’t get too big, but that it’s big enough so that they can see some of the nutritional information.”

Young said the label would like similar to the labels on packaged goods that consumers already recognize, but that the nutritional value of beef products would be highlighted. Beef products are good sources of iron and protein, which are some of the nutrients that must be listed on the label. But each label must also list the amount of vitamins A and C. ”Unless you go to liver, there’s not a lot in meat,” Young says.

So the group is working with beef producers and retailers to list the vitamins beef supplies on the label – zinc, selenium, and the B vitamins.

”You don’t find zinc and vitamin B12 in the produce department, like you don’t find vitamin A and C in the meat department,” Young says. ”We really believe it is a great opportunity to educate consumers about the nutrition benefits of the entire meat case.”

While many nutritional experts believe meat labeling will highlight the high fat content of red meat, Young says consumers will be surprised about how many lean cuts of beef are available.

”Prime rib is certainly not something we eat every day because it is a higher-fat, higher-calorie choice,” she says. ”For your everyday choice in the beef category, there are 19 cuts of beef that meet the government guidelines for lean that also all come with those vitamins and minerals. So I think nutritional labeling will help people understand that.”

Markian Hawryluk can be reached at 541-617-7814 or mhawryluk@bendbulletin.com.