South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has announced he is leading a bipartisan coalition of 11 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief to support American cattle ranchers. The brief targets manufacturers who are using a “Product of USA” label on foreign-sourced beef products.
The legal action stems from a lawsuit filed by South Dakota ranchers in federal court after the U.S. Department of Agriculture initially allowed manufacturers to use the “Product of USA” label on beef from other countries. A District Court previously ruled in favor of the ranchers, and the case is now on appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Attorney General Jackley stated that the “Product of USA” label is a brand that reflects the quality of American beef, which ranchers work hard to produce. He argued that the use of this label on foreign-sourced products misleads consumers and harms the financial interests and reputation of American ranchers.
“Consumers should not be fooled into paying a premium price for substandard foreign beef product under a false ‘Product of USA’ label,” Jackley said in a statement.
In their brief, the attorneys general point out that the Department of Agriculture now acknowledges that this labeling practice conflicts with federal requirements. They have asked the court to order the manufacturers to stop the false labeling.
Joining South Dakota in the coalition are the attorneys general from Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming.
You can read the full article at KXLG.