By Jennifer Whitlock
Field Editor
After the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published its new final rule regarding “Made in the USA” label claims, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would follow suit when it comes to meat labeling.
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack commended the FTC for strengthening protections for American consumers and planned to complement those efforts through an agency initiative on labeling for products regulated by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which inspects meat, poultry, eggs and catfish products intended for human consumption.
“American consumers depend upon accurate, transparent labels to obtain important information about the food they consume. American farmers and ranchers depend upon those same labels to convey information about their products that consumers value and demand,” Vilsack said in a statement. “We have taken note of the many comments submitted to USDA and the FTC regarding meat labeling and understand that the current ‘Product of USA’ label on meat products may no longer effectively serve either of those purposes, to the detriment of consumers, producers and fair and competitive markets.”
After a long trade dispute between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, the World Trade Organization ordered the U.S. to repeal mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on beef and pork in 2015. Since then, muscle cuts and ground beef or pork processed or repackaged in the U.S. may carry a label saying “Product of USA” even if the meat is from animals raised and/or harvested in other countries.
That label is voluntary and does not require source verification, which many agricultural organizations said is harmful to farmers and ranchers, as well as consumers.
Last year, USDA announced it would conduct its own rulemaking process to address concerns that voluntary “Product of USA” labeling confuses consumers about the origin of FSIS-regulated products.
“After considering the many comments received by the FTC and USDA on this issue, we are initiating a top-to-bottom review of the Product of USA label that will, among other things, help us to determine what that label means to consumers,” Vilsack said. “I am committed to ensuring that the Product of USA label reflects what a plain understanding of those terms means to U.S. consumers.”
In Texas, the top cattle-raising state in the nation, the news was met with optimism.
“Our members are pleased with the announcement that USDA will be addressing this and that actually falls right in line with our organizational policy on the topic,” Tracy Tomascik, Texas Farm Bureau associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities, said. “We’re happy with this review because the potential for consumer misunderstanding is real. A label that states the product has been inspected by USDA or something similar to that does not give consumers the impression that it may be a product that was born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.”
As a former beef producer, I personally feel a MADE / PROCESSED INTHE USA is what our consumers want. America Ranchers and farmers have worked hard for many years to put this quality product on the American table. We have enormous pride in our products!! Let us show it!!
I agree 100 percent.
We want a label which guarantees the product was raised and processed in the USA.
Yes, a label that leaves no loopholes for other nations or doubts as to the original origin, feeding/production and processing of the Agricultural product. Additionally, we have messed up when we are so deep in trade agreements that we are taking orders from the World Trade Organization.