National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has recently “reaffirmed its policy supporting voluntary country-of-origin labeling (COOL).”
NCBA specifically seeks solutions to labeling requirements and verification procedures for beef products labeled as “Product of the USA,” “Made in the USA,” or similar claims in order to resolve beef producers’ concerns, meet U.S. trade obligations and prevent confusion for consumers.
NCBA has been studying origin claims on beef labels for several months and the conclusion derived by the association is that consumer expectations relative to labels with origin claims may not be consistent with USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) policy.
“While FSIS has policy regarding origin labels, ultimately origin claims are marketing claims and should be regulated as such,” NCBA CEO Colin Woodall said in a released statement.
The association said while efforts to address origin labels are well-intentioned, they miss the mark and do not go far enough to address the situation.
“We look forward to working with USDA and other stakeholders—something NCBA is uniquely positioned to do—to ensure that accurate and voluntary origin labels are in place to benefit beef producers and consumers,” Woodall said.
