The Mystery Behind Meat Labels: Got “American” Beef?

Where does the beef we consume actually come from? And why does it matter? 

When we purchase beef, we may not consider everything that took place before the package hit the grocery store shelf. However, where and how cattle are raised can have a big impact on the quality of meat and the overall well-being of our planet.

The following is an excerpt from Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World by Lynne Pledger and Ridge Shinn. It has been adapted for the web.

Restoring a Country-of-Origin Labeling Requirement

The Biden administration has the opportunity to boost rural economies all over the nation simply by requiring that meat labels in the grocery stores tell it like it is.

Currently, the labels on packages of grass-fed beef that say “Product of the USA” do not mean that the animal was born, raised, or slaughtered in the United States. This labeling only means that the beef was handled here, that it was cut into smaller pieces or ground into hamburger or otherwise minimally processed and packaged here. In fact, “Product of the USA” on a package almost certainly means that the grass-fed beef therein did not come from the United States, even if the package is adorned with American flags. Most likely the meat was imported from Australia, Uruguay, or New Zealand.

Because deceptive labeling on packages of imported grass-fed beef leads shoppers to believe that they are buying American beef, it allows companies exporting meat from overseas to cash in on the desires of many Americans to support US companies. Currently this marketing strategy is perfectly legal, but that was not always the case. The short-lived Country of Origin Labeling requirement (COOL), which required retailers to notify customers where beef came from, went into effect in 2009 but was repealed in 2016.10

Why Does It Matter?

What difference does it make where grass-fed beef cattle were raised? Customers want to know the country of origin for at least two reasons: