The Department of Agriculture is accepting public comment on a policy that allows foreign beef to be labeled as “Product of USA” if inspected in the United States. The comment period opened last week following a petition by the American Grassfed Association and the Organization for Competitive Markets. The petition demands the Food Safety Inspection Service policy be changed to ensure only U.S. domestic meat products can be labeled “Product of USA.”
The groups allege the current policy allows food companies to “skirt the federal law and regulations governing labeling and leads to violations of FSIS’s own policies and regulations that clearly mandate truthfulness in labeling.” The Petition refers to research that says U.S. consumers want to know where their food comes from and consumers place a higher financial value on food that is local, regional and from the United States. The public comment period closes in mid-August.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.