Rounds Submits Comment on “Product of USA” Label

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) responded to a solicitation for comments from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regarding the “Product of USA” label in the Federal Register. FSIS is currently seeking feedback to determine the value consumers place on the “Product of USA” label. Full text of this comment can be found below. Interested parties can submit their comments on this petition here.

 “While I am pleased that the USDA is undertaking a review to strengthen the “Product of USA” label, I am concerned that the department is not acting quickly enough to adopt new standards for this label,” Rounds said. “Consumers deserve to know where their food is coming from. When South Dakota families purchase beef labeled “Product of USA,” they should know with certainty that it is coming from one of our top-quality domestic producers. The solution to this problem is simple – only beef born, raised and slaughtered in the United States should receive the “Product of USA” label. This issue must be resolved for the sake of consumers and our hardworking producers. I urge you to take action to update the “Product of USA” label as quickly as possible.”

Full text of his comment:

I write today regarding the Notice of Request for a New Information Collection published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on February 1, 2022, entitled “Analyzing Consumers' Value of ‘Product of USA’ Labeling Claims” (Docket No. FSIS-2021-0031). Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment on an issue of critical importance to both consumers and producers.

While I am pleased that the USDA is undertaking a review to strengthen the “Product of USA” label, I am concerned that the department is not acting quickly enough to adopt new standards for this label. In particular, I fail to see the need to develop a consumer survey, and to request comment on the methodology of this survey, to confirm what even the White House has acknowledged:  a new label is necessary so “consumers can better understand where their meat comes from.”[1]

Our farm and ranch families work hard to deliver the safest, highest-quality and most affordable food products in the world. American consumers recognize this, and are demanding to know where their food is coming from. For far too long, South Dakota producers have been exploited as their high-quality, American-raised beef has lost value as it is mixed with foreign products that are raised and processed under different, and often subpar, standards. This attempt to intentionally deceive consumers in regard to a beef product’s rearing and country of origin is wrong.

Additionally, the survey proposed by the USDA and for which comments are being requested is unnecessary since it is clear that consumers value knowing the source of their meat. As noted, even the White House has acknowledged the need to provide consumers greater information about the meat they buy.  As a result, this survey, and the current request for comment on the methodology for this survey, should be scrapped in favor of a more direct rulemaking that accomplishes the simple goal of achieving fair and accurate truth in labeling standards for beef products that enter the U.S. market.   

FSIS notes it is seeking information on the following questions, the answers to which are either already known or are unknowable until greater information is provided. 

1. Do consumers notice the “Product of USA” labeling claim?

Yes, it is clear that consumers notice the “Product of USA” labeling claim, or producers would not utilize this voluntary label. Consumers want to know the true source of their food. It is long overdue to fix the “Product of USA” label to restore transparency and fairness for consumers in the marketplace.

1. Do consumers understand the current “Product of USA” definition and other “USDA” labeling (e.g.,  “USDA Choice”) as it relates to country of origin?

Consumers often do not fully understand the current “Product of USA” definition and deserve greater transparency when making purchasing decisions. South Dakotans frequently contact my office expressing frustration with the gaping loophole that is allowed under the current standard for a product to bear the “Product of USA” label. The most accurate way to describe “Product of USA” would be to allow its use only if the product is born, raised and slaughtered in the United States. The USDA’s allowance for foreign beef to continue to use a “Product of USA” label simply because it is processed in the U.S. defies logic, and I urge the USDA to use this opportunity to make a meaningful change for American consumers and producers alike.

1. How much are consumers willing to pay for meat products bearing the “Product of USA” labeling    claim for the current definition and potential revised definitions (e.g., if the meat were from an      animal that was born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States)?

We will not know for sure until we have greater transparency and proper labeling standards in place. The value in more comprehensive beef labeling stems from the consumer’s ability to understand the origin of the product, the culture and practices associated with raising the animal and the ultimate quality and safety of the final meat product. Consumers spending their hard earned money in the grocery store deserve to have accurate labeling that allows them to make the most informed purchasing decisions possible for themselves and their families.

Consumers deserve to know where their food is coming from. When South Dakota families purchase beef labeled “Product of USA,” they should know with certainty that it is coming from one of our top-quality domestic producers. Unfortunately, without clear parameters, the current “Product of USA” label is misleading and can result in imported beef being labeled as though it is of U.S. origin. The solution to this problem is simple - only beef born, raised and slaughtered in the United States should receive the “Product of USA” label. This issue must be resolved for the sake of consumers and our hardworking producers. I urge you to take action to update the “Product of USA” label as quickly as possible.

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