NCBA Asks USDA for Help on Fake Meat Issue

NCBA Asks USDA for Help on Fake Meat Issue

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
Recently the National Cattlemen's Beef Association submitted comments to the USDA outlining key principles for the regulation of fake meat products.

The NCBA encouraged the USDA to look beyond modifying "standards of identity" in order to provide adequate protection for beef producers and consumers.

Danielle Beck is with the NCBA and talks about what they are doing and why..

"NCBA firmly believes the term beef should only be applicable to products derived from actual livestock raised by farmers and ranchers. For misbranded and mislabeled plant-based protein products, existing legislation gives FDA the authority to take enforcement actions. However, the agency has a history of failing to enforce labeling laws. Rather than expending time and resources to develop a standard of identity the FDA will blatantly ignore, NCBA requests USDA engage with FDA to facilitate immediate, appropriate enforcement actions against imitation meat product labels that clearly violate existing laws."

She says, there are some products they don't have an issue with -- such as Black Bean Burgers -- which are clearly defined and labeled as being a plant based product. However, there are other products that already toe the line.

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