- 86% of American voters support the ‘American Beef Labeling Act,’ legislation requiring country-of-origin labeling for all beef sold in the United States.
- 89% of American voters are concerned that importers of foreign beef can legally put a U.S. food safety inspection sticker on a package containing beef born, raised, and harvested outside of the U.S.
- 90% of American voters are concerned that importers of foreign beef can legally put a ‘Product of U.S.A’ sticker on a package of beef born, raised, and harvested outside of the U.S.
- 72% of Democrats and 79% of Republicans say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports the ‘American Beef Labeling Act.’
WASHINGTON. A new poll of registered voters—conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA)—shows that an overwhelming majority of voters (90 percent) are concerned about beef imports deceptively labeled as ‘Product of USA.’ In response, 86 percent of voters support legislation currently under consideration in Congress that would require mandatory country-of-origin labeling for all beef products sold in the United States.
“This is a no-brainer,” said CPA Chair Zach Mottl. “Americans deserve to know where their beef is raised and harvested. It’s astounding that, at present, importers can put a ‘Product of U.S.A.’ label on beef that’s an exclusively foreign product. It’s time to end such deceptive food labels and require mandatory country-of-origin labeling.”
At present, there is no mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef sold in the United States. This is an unusual exception to current U.S. law, which does require country-of-origin labels for other foods such as lamb, chicken, fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. The “American Beef Labeling Act of 2022” (S.2716 and H.R.7291) would correct this by requiring all beef, including imported beef, to be labeled as to where it was born, raised, and harvested. Specifically, the legislation would restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) on beef by inserting “beef” and “ground beef’” into an existing 2002 federal MCOOL law.
In 2020, U.S. imports of beef hit an all-time high.
American consumers are also concerned about the quality and safety of current beef imports. For example, Brazil—which is a major beef exporter to the United States—has experienced recurring food safety problems with its beef exports.
The new Morning Consult polling makes clear that Americans are worried about these food safety issues. A full 86 percent of voters want Congress to pass the American Beef Labeling Act. And nine out of 10 voters are troubled that beef born, raised, and harvested outside of the United States can currently be labeled as a ‘Product of U.S.A.’—and be stamped with a U.S. food safety inspection sticker.
Unsafe food is now resonating as an election issue, too. The new polling found that 77 percent of voters say it’s important that the beef they purchase was born, raised, and harvested in the United States. In fact, Morning Consult found strong bipartisan support for the American Beef Labeling Act. Nearly three-quarters of Democrats (72 percent) and four in five Republicans (79 percent) say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports the legislation.
“Americans are being deceived by mislabeled foreign beef,” said Michael Stumo, CEO of the CPA. “Consumers see a U.S. inspection sticker on store-bought beef and assume it’s a U.S. product. This puts them at risk for unsafe food imports. At the same time, America’s cattle farmers and ranchers are being hurt by large volumes of beef and cattle imports. Congress should promptly pass the ‘American Beef Labeling Act’ so that all beef sold in U.S. grocery stores will now be accurately labeled.”
The American Beef Labeling Act of 2022 is a bipartisan bill introduced in both the Senate and the House.
