During the recent holiday season, the USDA released a final rule that will expand nutritional facts requirements to include 40 major cuts as well as ground and chopped varieties of single-ingredient raw meats and chicken products.

Although they won't take effect for another year (Jan. 1, 2012), some groups like the Center For Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) already believe these new regs don't go far enough. On one hand, the naysayers have a point: For example, 80 percent lean ground beef gives the impression it is lower in fat, when, in fact, it really isn't, as this online calculator developed by the USDA's Nutrient Data Laboratory demonstrates. On the other hand, beef industry groups may be complaining that their members will have a hard time complying with these new rules, but some meat manufacturers have already made the transition.

Despite friction on both sides of the argument, people can't be informed enough about the things they put in their mouths, so these long overdue nutritional regs, from our vantage point, are very welcome news indeed. (Just a reminder, informed consumers -- those who take supplements -- make better health care decisions too.)

Providing more and better information is a good and an important thing. Getting folks to use that information, like leading the proverbial horse to cool refreshing water in hopes he'll drink it, however, is quite another matter entirely.

FoodNavigator-USA.com January 3, 2011

ABC News December 30, 2010

Federal Register December 29, 2010