South Dakota Senator and United States Senate Majority Leader John Thune and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker have reintroduced (Feb. 5, 2025) bipartisan legislation that would reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef.
The American Beef Labeling Act would require the U.S. Trade Representative, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to develop a World Trade Organization-compliant means of reinstating MCOOL for beef within one year of passage.
Thune, a longtime supporter of MCOOL, said South Dakota ranchers work tirelessly to produce some of the highest quality beef in the world and they deserve a “fair labeling system that provides consumers with basic information on the origin of their beef.” He also said the legislation would promote the viability of cattle ranching across our country and provide full transparency for American consumers.
South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke said, “MCOOL is necessary for consumers who need to know where their food comes from.” He also said, “MCOOL is necessary for cattle producers who invest heavily in practices that produce the safest and highest quality meat in the world.”
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard says, “Our cattle and beef markets cannot function properly when consumers are denied basic market information, such as where the beef they purchase for their families was produced, under which country’s food production and food safety regime it was produced, and whether their purchase will help strengthen our domestic food supply chains. The American Beef Labeling Act will remedy this situation and bring needed transparency to the marketplace for producers and consumers alike.”
United States Cattlemen’s Association President Justin Tupper from St. Onge, SD, said, “This legislation puts U.S. producers first and we look forward to collaborating with Senator Thune and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to uphold integrity in the domestic beef market.”
Booker said for too long, the big meatpackers have been misleading people with deceptive labeling. He said more transparency “will enable consumers to support local family farmers and ranchers.”
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) are cosponsors of the American Beef Labeling Act.
Under its current format, the bill says the U.S. Trade Representative would have six months to develop a reinstatement plan followed by a six-month window to implement it. If USTR fails to reinstate MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment, it would automatically be reinstated for beef only.
Comments