DENVER, CO – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is asking the USDA to eliminate the use of misleading origin labels for beef.
President Jerry Bohn says the use of “Product of the USA” (POTUSA) might mislead consumers if beef imported to the U.S. originated in another country. “We’re asking or petitioning FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) at USDA to change the nomenclature of that label to ‘Processed in the U.S.’ We believe that is a more truthful label.”
NCBA believes that the current “Product of the USA” labels are a disservice to American consumers and cattle producers alike. The claim implies that a beef product is entirely of U.S. origin. However, in reality, imported beef products are eligible to be labeled “Product of the USA” as long as the product has been minimally processed or repackaged in a USDA-inspected facility. It is not subject to source verification, is not tied to any kind of food safety standard, and is applied by packers and retailers in a manner that does not deliver value back to the cattle producer.
“The Product of the USA label does not meet the expectations of today’s consumers and disincentivizes the use of voluntary, source-verified claims that allow cattle and beef producers to more effectively distinguish their product in the marketplace,” said Bohn. “There is a growing desire among consumers to know more about the origin of the food they purchase, and it is critical that producers are empowered with opportunities to market their high-quality beef in a way that allows them to differentiate the source of their product from competitors and potentially increase profitability.”
NCBA says the organization hopes to work with the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service to “educate cattle producers, processors, and retailers about the various opportunities that exist to develop voluntary, verifiable origin marketing claims that deliver tangible benefits to cattle producers without violating rules of trade.”
