DeLauro Praises New USDA Nutritional Information Labeling Requirements

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Chairwoman of the FDA and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)'s announcement of a new rule requiring nutritional labeling for the 40 most popular cuts of meat and poultry products. This information includes the number of calories, the grams of total fat, and saturated fat a product contains.

Congresswoman DeLauro has fought for making nutritional information readily and easily available to the public for years, and her legislation requiring restaurants with 20 or more business locations to display the caloric and nutritional information of their food options was included in the Affordable Care Act.

"This new rule is an important step forward in helping consumers make informed choices about what they feed their families. Our country is facing an obesity epidemic, and if we are to make any progress against this problem, it is critical that consumers have access to nutrition information about the foods they buy at restaurants and at grocery stores. Enabling American consumers to clearly see the nutritional benefits of what they are buying will help them to make more informed and healthier decisions about their food choices."