“Product of U.S.A.” Labeling Lawsuit Dismissed in Federal Court

A lawsuit brought forth by cattle farmers claiming that powers within the meat packing industry were mislabeling beef has been dismissed in federal appeals court. The ruling affirmed current USDA rules, which states that meat can be labeled with this designation once it is processed by U.S. companies. The 2-1 decision this past Friday in the U.S. Court of Appeals found that Tyson Foods, Cargill Meat Solution, JBS USA and the National Beef Co. were not guilty of misleading consumers with the “Product of U.S.A.” designation.

Senior U.S. Circuit Court Judge Carlos Lucero, the lone vote in favor of the plaintiffs, said the label is misleading when it is used on products from animals raised outside the U.S. He commented further by stating he believes the labels violate USDA’s regulation that bar meat from giving “any false indication of origin.”

Read more on the federal court ruling.