CFA and the Center for Science in the Public Interest submitted the following comments urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to reject efforts by a beef industry trade group to prohibit use of the terms “meat” or “beef” on plant-based and cultured proteins marketed as alternatives to traditional meat. Earlier this year, the United States Cattlemen’s Association filed a petition asking USDA to restrict the use of “beef” and “meat” to products from “animals born, raised, and slaughtered in the traditional manner.” The comments recommend that the agency deny that petition, arguing that the agency need not ban specific words to ensure that labeling is clear and not misleading. The comments also point out that “the USCA has taken its ‘beef’ to the wrong agency” because plant-based foods are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, not the USDA. On the subject of lab-grown or “cultured” meat, the comments point out that no such products are yet commercially available, and argue that the FDA and USDA should agree on which agency has jurisdiction to regulate these foods before either agency moves to restrict their labeling.
