Johnson Commends USDA Plan to Move Forward with Labeling Changes

Pat Powers

Johnson Commends USDA Plan to Move Forward with Labeling Changes 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) commended U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Purdue who stated, in response to committee questioning by Johnson, that USDA was considering new Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) labeling standards for beef.

Currently, beef that is not raised or slaughtered in the United States can still be labeled “Product of the USA.” At this week’s hearing before the House Agriculture Committee, Secretary Purdue said USDA is exploring a new “Slaughtered and Processed in the USA” label. Beef products processed and packaged outside of the United States would not be eligible for the new label.

“Our current labeling standards aren’t honest with consumers, and Americans deserve better,” said Johnson. “The approach described by Secretary Purdue this week is a much fairer and more accurate way to label beef. I look forward to following USDA’s efforts toward greater transparency.”

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7 thoughts on “Johnson Commends USDA Plan to Move Forward with Labeling Changes”

  1. Hes going to solve the issue Liz May is running on before she even makes it on the ballot.

  3. While I agree with the principle*, we have to remember the US is a net exporter of both raw and processed agricultural products. What is good for the goose is good for the gander and this opens up an opportunity for the protectionist interests in the countries of our foreign customers to use labeling to discourage consumption of our products in their countries.

    Notwithstanding what I said above, I don’t understand how a product not grown or processed here can be a product of the USA and vice versa. Maybe this is just closing a loophole.

    I guess my point is when the answer seems totally obvious, there is usually an unintended consequence I am unaware of.

  4. Not sure what this is solving packers can still import, slaughter, and process livestock and call it a product of the USA.

    1. Anon 10:56, that’s the whole point. Dusty is trying to change that by replacing the often abused label with one that only cattle slaughtered and processed in our country can use.

      1. We are importing inferior cattle from countries with quality standards far below ours and slaughteing and processing them here and calling them a labeling them a product of the USA. How does the new label stop that?

  5. Do consumers want to eat beef that is imported from Brazil, slaughtered and proceed in the USA and labeled a product of the USA? This is what is going on we are importing beef from other countries processing it here and labeling it a USA product. So how does the new label stop this? Is that the beef you want to eat? Have Dusty, John, Mike, or Kristi explain this to us.

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