MEAT LABELING PASSES FIRST USDA TEST

WASHINGTON (FNS) -- Supermarkets have passed the first test of whether they're adequately complying with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutrition and safe handling labeling requirements for raw meat and poultry, according to a USDA report on industry compliance.

60%, USDA would be required to make the program mandatory. In order to be in compliance, a store must meet the labeling standards for at least 90% of the time.

For safe handling labels, 92.2% of the 2,000 stores surveyed were in compliance. Unlike the nutrition labeling, safe handling stickers are mandatory, and so the USDA is seeking 100% compliance.

In interpreting the nutrition labeling data, USDA said that a common transgression by stores was that information was posted for some, but not all, of the meat categories of beef/veal, pork/ lamb and chicken/turkey.

"Many of the stores achieved compliance within individual categories of raw meat/poultry, but did not have all three nutritional charts present and posted and failed the compliance test at the aggregate level," the survey said.

In providing the nutrition information, 74.9% of the stores used posters, signs, charts, brochures, pamphlets and other posted materials. The remaining stores affixed labels. The most common form of printed material used was a poster, accounting for 66.3% of the stores.

Other details released by the agency regarding its survey include the following:

· For nutrition labeling, 76.4% of the large chain supermarkets were in compliance, while 59.6% of the large independently owned stores and 38.6% of the small- to medium-size independents provided the required information.

· Of the large chains, 14.3% provided no nutrition labeling whatsoever, with 28.4% of the large independents and 46.9% of the small and medium independents showing no compliance.

· For safe handling labels, 95.6% of the large chains were found to be in compliance, and 89.4% of the large independent stores and 83.1% of the medium and small independent chains posted the information.