The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) filed a petition on Oct. 23 with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service to address beef labeling claims.
The group states that since the repeal of country-of-origin labeling in 2015, there are no clear definitions for what constitutes a U.S. beef product.
“Cattle or beef that is imported into our borders and undergoes further processing or handling at a USDA-inspected facility can be labeled as a ‘Product of the United States,’ even if the handling of the product was minimal,” a released statement reads.
The petition states, “To eliminate the likelihood of confusion and to better inform consumers, USCA contends that voluntary labels indicating ‘Made in USA,’ ‘Product of U.S.’ or similar content should be limited to beef from cattle born, raised, and harvested in the United States.”
