Tag Archives: MEAT

As War Over Plant-Based Food Labeling Wages On In The US, UK Sub-Committee Concludes Consumers Not Misled By Vegetarian “Burgers”

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On July 25, 2019, a United Kingdom parliamentary sub-committee found that words like “burger,” “sausage,” and “steak” to describe plant-based foods are not misleading to consumers. Indeed, the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee have raised concerns that a ban on the use of such descriptors for plant-based foods would actually reduce consumer … Continue Reading

Tofurkey and Others Challenge Arkansas Plant-Based and Insect-Based Meat Labeling Law

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Good Food Institute, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the ACLU of Arkansas recently filed a complaint on behalf of Turtle Island Foods (Tofurkey brand), challenging an Arkansas law that prohibits the representation of plant-based and insect-based products as “meat” or related terms (e.g., “beef,” “roast,” and “sausage”). … Continue Reading

Louisiana Laws to Limit Use of Terms “Meat,” “Rice,” “Sugar” and “Milk” on Food Product Labels

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On June 11, Louisiana joined a growing number of states, including Missouri and Arkansas, that have enacted legislation aimed at protecting traditional agricultural products from the growing popularity of plant-based and cell-based meat products or riced vegetables. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed two bills into law aimed at prohibiting the use of common labeling … Continue Reading

New Arkansas Law Defines Rice, Beef, Pork, and Meat

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Arkansas recently joined the states that prohibit marketing a product as “meat” if it is not derived from livestock or poultry. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed HB 1407, titled, “To Require Truth in Labeling of Agriculture Product Are Edible by Humans,” into law (Act 501) last month. Significantly, Arkansas Act 501, also bans manufacturers from … Continue Reading

New Nebraska Bill Defining Meat as Derived from Livestock or Poultry

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Last week, we blogged about Nebraska Legislative Bill 14 (LB 14), which would have limited the use of the term “meat” to the edible portions of livestock or poultry carcasses.  It would have specifically excluded insect- or plant-based products as well as lab-grown products from the definition.  Under the proposed bill, engaging in any misleading … Continue Reading

Nebraska Bill Defines Meat as Derived from Livestock or Poultry

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Introduced January 10, 2019, Nebraska Legislative Bill 14 would prohibit “misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from livestock or poultry.” The bill, which was referred to the Agriculture Committee on January 14, was introduced by Sen. Carol Blood. “I’m not bringing this bill to tell people what they can and can’t eat. All … Continue Reading

USDA Secretary Signals USDA Role Over Animal Cell Culture Technology Regulation Ahead of Joint USDA-FDA Meeting

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As previously reported on this blog, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will hold a joint meeting on October 23-24, 2018, to discuss the use of cell culture technology to develop products derived from livestock and poultry. The meeting will focus on potential hazards, regulatory … Continue Reading

USDA and FDA Announce Joint Meeting on Animal Cell Culture Technology

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Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will hold a joint meeting on October 23-24, 2018, to discuss the use of cell culture technology to develop products derived from livestock and poultry. As we previously reported on this blog, FDA held a public meeting on … Continue Reading

GFI and Others Sue Missouri over Plant-Based and Clean Meat Labeling Law

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The Good Food Institute (GFI), the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, and Turtle Island Foods (Tofurky brand) sued the state of Missouri over a new law, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 265.494(7), which prohibits labeling a product that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry as meat. The … Continue Reading

Groups Petition FSIS to Change “Product of the USA” Policy

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The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and American Grassfed Association (AGA) have petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to change its standard for making a “Product of the USA” claim on meat and meat products. Currently, FSIS allows the statement “Product of USA” if either (1) the country to which the product is … Continue Reading

USDA Issues Guidelines Regarding Livestock Slaughter and Processing Inspection Exemptions

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On May 24, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a guideline: FSIS Guideline for Determining Whether a Livestock Slaughter or Processing Firm is Exempt from the Inspection Requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act.  Absent an exemption, all establishments where cattle, goat, swine, or sheep are slaughtered … Continue Reading

Missouri Considers Plant-Based Meat Labeling Bill

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The Missouri House approved a bill that would ban companies from labeling lab-grown meat products or meat substitutes as meat (St. Louis Post Dispatch). The labeling proposal is included in House Committee Bill 16, which passed the House by a vote of 107 to 38 on April 26, 2018. Now before the state Senate, the … Continue Reading

USCA petitions USDA for Labeling Alternative Beef Products

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates the quality, safety, and labeling of meat, poultry, and egg products marketed in the United States.  Recently, alternative meat products (known as “clean” meat) produced by culturing cells have become an increasingly hot topic. On February 9, 2018, the United States Cattlemen’s … Continue Reading

Canadian Study Identifies Off-Label Meat in 1 in 5 Sausages

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Funded by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), University of Guelph researchers have conducted the first-ever Canadian study examining sausage mislabeling. The study examined 100 sausages that were labeled as containing just one ingredient — beef, pork, chicken or turkey. Published on July 31, 2017 in Food Control, the study found cross-species contamination of meat ingredients in … Continue Reading

Pew Study Assesses Food Safety Efforts from Farm to Fork

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A Pew Charitable Trusts study released this month examines “preharvest” food safety control measures currently used on farms and feedlots and concludes that efforts to reduce contamination of meat and poultry products from harmful pathogens requires a comprehensive “farm to fork” approach. The study specifically examined food safety control measures designed to limit exposure on … Continue Reading

Cattle Producers Sue USDA to Reinstate COOL

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As previously covered on this blog, in 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented country of origin labeling (COOL) rules, requiring meat labels to indicate where animals were born, raised, and slaughtered.  Meatpacking and livestock commodity groups in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico challenged the COOL requirements via appeal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and … Continue Reading

CSPI Petitions USDA for Cancer-Risk Warning Labels on Meat

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For years, researchers have debated the link between the consumption of red meat and cancer.  On October 26, 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) took what is perhaps the most definitive and aggressive position thus far by any health organization on this hot-button issue, announcing that, based on a 22-member expert panel’s analysis of more … Continue Reading

Will COOL Make a Come Back?

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As previously covered on this blog, mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) rules for beef products have long been the subject of controversy and challenge, culminating in a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that the COOL requirements violate U.S. trade obligations to Canada and Mexico and Congress repealing COOL as of December 21, 2015. With a … Continue Reading

California Provision Goes Slack

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Federal law preempts California slack fill challenges for USDA-regulated products. Under the California Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, companies can be challenged for including “nonfunctional slack fill” in product packaging.  Slack fill is the empty space between products and their packaging, and the goal of California’s requirements is to prevent consumer deception when products are … Continue Reading

“Grass Fed” Gone?

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USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service withdraws the standards for “grass fed” and “naturally raised” marketing claims The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the USDA provides the livestock and meat industries with an option to voluntarily have marketing claims covered by AMS standards verified by the USDA, and to identify such claims as “USDA Certified”.  AMS established standards … Continue Reading
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