Central South Dakota News

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds has reintroduced the USA Beef Act, aiming to ensure that the "Product of USA" label is used exclusively for beef products born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States. This legislation seeks to codify a rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) addressing this issue.

In March 2023, the USDA proposed a rule requiring that "Product of USA" or "Made in the USA" labels be applied only to meat, poultry, and egg products that meet specific criteria: being born, raised, slaughtered, and processed domestically. While not mandating a U.S.-origin label, it offers a voluntary opportunity for producers who meet these requirements. The rule was finalized in March 2024 and took effect in May 2024, with compliance required by early 2026.

Senator Rounds' legislation aims to make this rule permanent by enshrining it into law. He stated: “We applaud the USDA taking action to restore integrity to the 'Product of USA' label on meat, poultry and egg products." He emphasized that this move enhances consumer transparency and supports American ranchers against foreign competition falsely using the same label.

Rounds has been actively advocating for restoring integrity to these labels since hosting a roundtable discussion on beef labeling in June 2021. He first introduced similar legislation in August 2021 during the 117th Congress.

Additionally, Rounds supports Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL). In 2024, he initiated efforts to include MCOOL in the Farm Bill, gaining endorsements from 26 farm and ranch groups nationwide. Recently, he urged USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to establish a framework for reinstating MCOOL.

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