“After years of fighting for the right to repair, this order gives farmers real hope. But promises on paper must become tools in farmers’ hands, and we will be watching implementation every step of the way,” said Willie Cade, a Farm Action Local Leader and Right to Repair advocate.
FTC to Pick Up USDA’s Country of Origin Meat Labeling Slack
Family Farm Action Alliance Applauds New FTC Proposed Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Family Farm Action Alliance submitted public comments on the proposed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that sets out standards for product labels using “Made in the U.S.A.” (MUSA) or equivalent claims. The Commission’s proposal would codify their current MUSA Labeling Rule, and enforce a civil penalty to those that make intentionally fraudulent MUSA label claims. This rulemaking is imperative to deter deceptive claims currently made in meat and meat product labeling in an already complex food labeling landscape.
Family Farm Action Alliance supports FTC’s ingredient origin standard’s language of “all or virtually all” contained in the proposed rule for non-meat products. However, we strongly request FTC takes the next step, and require the entirety of any meat or meat product under a MUSA label be 100% U.S. “born, raised, and harvested,” not just “sourced.” As written now, the proposed rule could allow a beef or pork animal born and raised outside of the U.S., and then imported and harvested in the US, in compliance with the “sourced” standard and the MUSA label. Without the language change, it would be no better than USDA’s known meat country of origin loophole, and must be addressed in the upcoming rulemaking.
Family Farm Action Alliance commends the FTC’s efforts to clarify MUSA label claims. We look forward to working toward a rule that supports independent farmers and ranchers – something that is long overdue from USDA’s FSIS.
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Media Contact: Joe Maxwell, [email protected]
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