Meat+Poultry - April 2023 - 14

WASHINGTON
USDA proposes COOL rule
The US Department of Agriculture
(USDA) announced a proposed rule
for " Product of USA " label claims on
March 6. The rule would require that
animals be born, raised, slaughtered
and processed in the United States for
meat, poultry and egg products to bear
the " Product of USA " or " Made in the
USA " label claim.
" American consumers expect
that when they buy a meat product
at the grocery store, the claims they
see on the label mean what they
say, " said Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack. " These proposed changes are
intended to provide consumers with
accurate information to make informed
purchasing decisions. Our action
today affirms USDA's commitment
to ensuring accurate and truthful
product labeling. "
While the " Product of USA " label
claim would not require pre-approval
from USDA's Food Safety and
Inspection Service under the new rule,
the claim would need documentation
on file for the agency to verify. The
label would also remain voluntary.
OPPORTUNITY FOR
ORIGIN CLAIMS
An added component of the proposed
rule is the opportunity for other
voluntary US origin claims on meat,
poultry and egg products. All claims
would need to detail the preparation
and processing steps that took place in
the United States.
USDA said its rulemaking
has been supported by petitions,
data and thousands of comments
from stakeholders.
" Today's announcement is a
victory for American consumers and
producers, " said Senator Mike Rounds
(R-SD). " Once this proposed rule is
finalized, American consumers will
no longer be misled by a 'Product
of USA' label that is allowed to be
applied to foreign products. American
cattle ranchers will no longer be
disadvantaged in the marketplace
against lower quality foreign beef that
falsely bears the 'Product of USA' label.
The USDA's ruling is a major step in the
right direction, and I applaud Secretary
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for taking
the necessary actions to fix this label. "
Rounds' support for USDA's new
rule comes after years of work pushing
for further regulatory oversight on US
origin claims. Since 2019, Rounds has
introduced legislation, met with Vilsack
and backed a bill that would limit
" Product of USA " label claims.
Several stakeholders have long
been advocating for more clarity on
" Product of USA " claims. In 2019, the
US Cattlemen's Association (USCA)
petitioned the USDA to review and
strengthen the current rule.
" In our 2019 petition for rulemaking
to FSIS, USCA called out the practice
of applying 'Product of the USA' and
'Made in the USA' labeling claims on
beef products that the food safety
agency itself admitted could have
come from other countries, " said
USCA President Justin Tupper. " USCA
is pleased to see that the proposed
rule finally closes this loophole
by accurately defining what these
voluntary origin claims mean -
something we have been working to
clarify since the repeal of mandatory
country-of-origin labeling in 2015. If it
says 'Made in the USA,' then it should
be from cattle that have only known
USA soil. "
Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal
Fund United Stockgrowers of America
(R-CALF USA) expressed indignation
at the time it has taken to strengthen
US origin product labeling regulations.
" With American cattle herds at
a 60-year low, it is regrettable for
consumers and cattle producers that
it has taken eight years to stop the
mislabeling of foreign beef, " said
Brett Kenzy, president of R-CALF
USA. " Public sentiment has rallied to
force the USDA to stop the lie; now
America needs Congress to compel the
truth by enacting The American Beef
Labeling Act. "
USDA began its review of the rule
in 2021. The agency is encouraging
a 60-day commenting period for
any stakeholders - domestic and
international - to provide additional
feedback on the proposed rule.
BY RACHAEL OATMAN | roatman@sosland.com
" Once this proposed rule is finalized,
American consumers will no longer be
misled by a 'Product of USA' label that is
allowed to be applied to foreign products. "
- SENATOR MIKE ROUNDS
14 MEAT+POULTRY | 04.23 | www.meatpoultry.com
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Meat+Poultry - April 2023

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