Tell USDA: Stop Allowing Imported Meat to be Mislabeled “Product of U.S.A.”

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Do you want a food system in which the biggest cheaters win, and global monopolies control our food supply? It’s what we have today.

Current USDA policy allows cheap imported meat to be mislabeled “Product of U.S.A.” Global food corporations find it very profitable to deceive U.S. consumers and drive U.S. family farmers and ranchers out of business while our government looks the other way.

It’s time to stop this criminal practice, so we at Organization for Competitive Markets teamed up with the American Grassfed Association to file a petition with USDA which, when successful, will ensure only domestic meat products can be labeled “Product of U.S.A.”

With the Congressional repeal of mandatory Country of Origin Labeling for beef and pork products, it is imperative that when a company chooses to label its meat products that origin statement be truthful. Allowing foreign profiteers to mislabel meat products plunders the profits of U.S. farmers and ranchers at the expense of U.S. consumers

Why Does it Matter?

  • The current FSIS labeling policy for “Product of U.S.A.” grants foreign countries and foreign interests unfair marketing opportunity that harms America’s family farmers by allowing foreign entities to receive a premium from consumers who unwittingly believe they are buying meat and meat products with ingredients that originate domestically.
  • Research has shown that as many as 93% of Americans want to know where their food comes from and 75% of Americans indicate the source of origin of their food is a major attribute when making their food choices. The current FSIS policy misleads Americans when they are making their purchases and denies America’s family farmers these food dollars. FSIS food labeling policy for “Product of U.S.A.” should be based on the source of the ingredients.
  • The current FSIS labeling policy for “Product of U.S.A.” deceives America’s consumers who have clearly demonstrated they will pay a premium for meat and meat products sourced domestically by misbranding foreign meat and meat products as “Product of U.S.A.”
  • Australia is a leading beef exporter into the U.S. and has just implemented a mandatory retail Country of Origin Labeling requirement. The current U.S. policy that allows Australian beef to pass through a USDA inspected facility and then to be labeled “Product of U.S.A.” clearly gives Australian ranchers and foreign interests a grossly unfair marketing advantage over American family farmers by allowing these foreign interests to receive a premium in both the U.S. and Australian market.
  • Both the Federal Meat Inspection Act and FSIS regulations clearly establish that meat and meat product labels must not mislead the consumer nor must they be false. FMIA states that meat or meat food products shall be “misbranded” if its “labeling is false or misleading in any particular.” The current FSIS policy on labeling “Product of U.S.A.” must be clarified to correctly reflect the federal law ensuring U.S. consumers are not misled or deceived.
  • In passing the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), Congress acknowledged the financial harm misbranding and mislabeling causes America’s livestock producers and clearly stated this as a key basis for the adoption of FMIA.

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10 thoughts on “Tell USDA: Stop Allowing Imported Meat to be Mislabeled “Product of U.S.A.””

  1. My comment:

    “Mislabeling country of origin of food should not only not be allowed, it should also be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine. More than 3 misdemeanors should be a felony punishable by not allowing the meat or other food handler the possibility of handling food. Why in the world do we waste our time with numerous rules when they have no teeth and waste everyone’s time? More than 5 misdemeanors of a multinational corporation should have a punishment of a public apology on TV with every label they have ever mislabeled named in the ad.

    Stop wasting our time and make America Great Again by getting fake advertisement out of the public sphere. Mislabeling food products should be a no-brainer.”

  2. the labeling should include the plant number of every plant the product passed thru ,and every means of transport used to get the meat to retail.
    that means every plant that was not a slaughter plant would have to show the source of their purchases in tonnage and the sales in tonnes lb units are too small and the numbers too large to effectively comprehend.
    probably few slaughter plants bring in meat to mix it is done at further processors.

    one question are the purchase and sales records of further processors available to be published?
    what about retailers? where do they source their meat direct from slaughter plants or from further processors?
    Farmers markets in California prosecute resellers for misrepresentation.

    The purchase records of all further processors and retailers should be publicly displayed.
    It they buy 50 % australian and 25% brazilian and 25 % american there is a 75% chance the product is not american

    Just like in Nevada publish the ODDS

  3. INFURIATING ERROR, CANNOT SEND OMMENT, GET AN ERROR MESSAGE SAYING I DIDN’T SUBMIT MY LAST NAME WHICH I DID TYPE IN. GRRRRR….

  4. DoRi Miles. Hi. I wrote my own words and unchecked submitted by a third party. It worked. I hope that helps.

  5. why is it so difficult to find out ware my meat is coming from. Simple question i wish the powers to be can give us a simple answer….T.Y

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