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MO cattle group wants country of origin labeling

The Independent Cattle Producers of Missouri are pushing for the return of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling, or M-COOL.

Vice President Ben Thomas tells Brownfield more stringent U.S. regulations are putting domestic producers at a disadvantage selling beef.

“We’re the highest cost producers in the world and there isn’t a close second,” Thomas said. “We have the best beef and the safest beef and we are being forced to compete on price along with countries like Namibia, Africa that have little to no safety standards.”

The northern Missouri cattle producer said he expects consumers would buy U.S. products given the choice, but the voluntary labeling system is misleading.

“They’re shipping beef in here and cattle in here from all over the world and then repackaging it and stamping it USDA and in my eyes it’s fraud,” he said. “Pretending like this is a product of the USA when, in a lot of instances, it is not.”

Thomas said the group supports South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds’ legislation that would reintroduce M-COOL.

Brownfield interviewed Thomas at the Missouri Livestock Symposium.

Ben Thomas Interview
  • It’s about time for truth in labeling, support Mandatory Country Of Origin Labeling. We deserve to know where our beef comes from.

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