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Rounds introduces meat labeling law addressing false advertising

A bipartisan group of Senators, led by Mike Rounds of South Dakota, has introduced a bill designed to restrict the use of the ‘Product of the USA’ label.

Senator Rounds tells Brownfield the USA Beef Act would only allow products that are born, raised, and slaughtered in the US to bear that label. “Beef that is from outside of the United States that currently is allowed to be brought into the United States repacked and sold with a “Product of the USA” label on it,” Rounds says. “That’s wrong. That’s false advertising. They’ve been doing this for two decades.”

Rounds says the current rules are confusing for consumers, and deceitful. “We think it’s about time that we quit the false advertising that the current practice allows for,” he says. “We want that product to mean something and clearly consumers think it means something or else these processors wouldn’t be labeling it that way using foreign beef.”

The bill is co-sponsored by: Bill Hagerty (R) Tennessee, John Thune (R) South Dakota, Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) Mississippi, John Barrasso (R) Wyoming, Cory Booker (D) New Jersey, Cynthia Lummis (R) Wyoming and Steve Daines (R) Montana.

The legislation has been endorsed by the US Cattlemen’s Association, R-CALF USA, the South Dakota Farmers Union, and the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.

Companion legislation is being introduced in the US House by Montana Representative Matt Rosendale (R).

AUDIO: Senator Mike Rounds, South Dakota