A bill was introduced in Congress last week that would codify the definition of beef and uphold truthful labeling on alternative protein products that currently refer to themselves as meat (even though there is ZERO meat in them). TCFA strongly supports this bill, H.R. 4881, and urges Members of Congress to sponsor and support it. 
 
The bill is pretty simple. 
 
First, it establishes a federal definition of beef that applies to food labels. It also preserves the congressional intent of the Beef Promotion and Research Act that was signed into law as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. Section (3) of that bill clearly defined the terms "beef" and "beef products," and although these terms were codified in 1985, they don't apply for labeling purposes. The Real MEAT Act would fix that.

Second, the bill affirms the misbranding provisions that are already on the books. These provisions were put in place over 50 years ago to prevent consumer confusion, and that intent has not changed. 
 
The problem is that many consumers believe plant-based meat is healthier, less processed and overall better for the environment. A quick comparison of the ingredient labels of both products indicates those beliefs couldn't be further from the truth.

Third, the bill strengthens enforcement of mislabeling laws. Currently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency that oversees plant-based proteins, does not enforce mislabeling until a product has already come to market. This is, in-part, because FDA does not require the approval of labels on foods under their jurisdiction before they hit the shelves. The Real MEAT Act would change that by requiring FDA to notify USDA, in writing, when they determine a product is mislabeled. If FDA does not take enforcement action within 30 days, the Secretary of Agriculture can step in and take action.
 
The bottom line is this: Consumers want to know what is in their food, and rightfully so. The beef community has worked for decades to establish beef's strong reputation among consumers, so it is not surprising that imitation products would try to ride the coattails of beef's popularity. But consumers deserve more than deceptive labels, and this bill would give them the factual information they need to make their own purchasing decisions. 

We are pleased to announce that you can now reserve ad space for the 2020 Cattle Feeders Resource Guide. We invite you to support this award-winning publication by reserving your ad space today. You can view, download and fill out the 2020 Rate Card here. Please return completed Rate Cards to advertising@tcfa.org or mail them to: 5501 Interstate 40 West, Amarillo, Texas 79106.

Since 1971, the Texas Cattle Feeders has issued an annual publication to serve TCFA members and supporting sponsors. The Resource Guide is an exclusive publication distributed to approximately 5,000 professional cattlemen and women throughout the country.

Every TCFA member, including feedyard managers, general managers, owners and customers receive a copy of the Resource Guide. These individuals are the decision makers in the multibillion-dollar cattle feeding industry.

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What began in 1971 as an association magazine has transformed into a historical record of the industry. Your organization is a part of that history and its future.

We appreciate your support and continued partnership as we look to make the 2020 Resource Guide the best yet.

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