Story from News Center 1
Rapid City, SD–Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune took action, Wednesday, ensuring beef products labeled ‘Product of the U.S.A.’ are in fact from the United States.
Their proposed legislation called the U.S. Beef Integrity Act calls for beef and beef products to be exclusively from the United States in order to receive the product label.
Exclusively would mean beef would be born, raised or slaughtered in the country. Currently the USDA only requires the beef to be processed in a U.S. facility, to receive the label.
“Consumers should have the right to know whether or not they’re eating beef that was born raised and processed in the United States of America,” says GOP Sen. Mark Rounds.
The bill has approval from beef industry members like the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.
“The South Dakota Stockgrowers have always been a staunch proponent of mandatory country of origin labeling,” says James Halverson, Executive Director of SDSGA. “Senators Rounds and Thune have just announced some legislation about ‘Product of U.S.A’ labeling and we’re real excited to have those conversations.”
Beef is the only agricultural product addressed in the proposed legislation.
Watch the story here https://www.newscenter1.tv/sen-rounds-and-beef-industry-voice-approval-for-new-product-of-u-s-a-label-legislation/