Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 6/26/18


USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will consider a petition calling for a change in policy in the way the phrase “product of USA” can be used on the labels of meat and poultry processed in the U.S., even if the meat itself is imported, the agency said in a letter posted on its website.

To that end, it is asking for public and stakeholder comments through the regulations.gov website, until August 17.
The petition, submitted by the Organization for Competitive Markets and the American Grassfed Association, specifically targets grass-fed beef. About 75 to 80 percent of these products sold in the United States are of meat imported from Australia and South America, among other countries. The overall beef market in the United States is about 9 percent imported meat.

“Hit hardest by misbranding of U.S. meat products are those U.S. producers who have been transitioning their operations to grassfed beef. This market opportunity has been the one bright spot in U.S. cattle production with sales nearly doubling annually,” the petition says.

Read the petition and offer comments here.

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