Where\u27s the beef labeling?: a policy proposal concerning red meat

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) 1990, required all foods regulated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have nutritional information labels directly on the product. Red meat is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is not subject to the NLEA. Red meat nutrition labeling was voluntarily until 2009, and even with the changes in the regulations most red meat still does not have to have a nutrition label directly on the package. Red meat has been linked to obesity, which is a serious health problem in the United States. This thesis argues that red meat should be have nutrition labels directly on the packaging just like the foods regulated by the FDA. Four policy proposals are proposed to accomplish this, including the best solution, which is to give all the regulatory authority for nutrition labeling to the FDA