NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA — As changes to U.S. meat labeling rules took effect earlier this year, some Montana ranchers hoped new “Product of USA” regulations would help clarify the origin of beef sold in grocery stores. But with an increase in imported lean beef trimmings being blended into ground beef products, producers say the need for transparency has become even more urgent.
Madison Collier reports - watch the video here:
In January, updated “Product of USA” labeling rules went into effect that allow beef processors to use that designation under certain conditions.
- Check our previous coverage here
Now, some producers across Montana are adding their voices to a renewed push for mandatory country-of-origin labeling, arguing that voluntary or conditional labeling doesn’t go far enough to ensure traceability in a changing market. In January, members of the Montana Country-of-Origin Labeling Coalition held a press conference in Billings calling on Congress to reinstate mandatory COOL and restore “fair and transparent markets” for producers and consumers alike.
- Learn more about the coalition's efforts here
Mandatory COOL was repealed in 2015 after the World Trade Organization ruled that it discriminated against Canada and Mexico's livestock exports.
Since then, beef labeling has been largely voluntary, leaving no federal requirement to disclose where cattle were born or raised.
At the heart of the debate is the question of how consumers can know where the beef they buy was raised and processed. With more imported beef entering the U.S. market, producers say the current labeling framework allows ground beef products to mix domestic and foreign beef without clear identification.
The western district director of the Montana Cattlemen’s Association and a producer out of Fairfield, Tim Brunner, has been among those emphasizing the uncertainty that creates for consumers.
“Now would be a great time to implement COOL, to prove and show people what you’re buying,” Brunner said. “The consumer’s going to pay the same price for beef, except now it may have more blended foreign beef in it, and they won’t even know.”
Proponents of mandatory labeling argue that it would give consumers confidence in what they’re purchasing and help U.S. producers distinguish their products in a competitive global market.
While the Montana Stockgrowers Association is not a part of the Montana COOL Coalition, Leslie Robinson, the president of the association, echoed that point, saying traceability isn’t just about marketing, it’s about safety and trust.
“We raise a very healthy, safe product in the United States, and traceability is important,” Robinson said. “Consumers should be able to know where their beef comes from and have confidence in the standards behind it.”
Currently, the labeling landscape includes both voluntary and conditional designations, but no nationwide requirement that beef products state their country of origin. That was the case before the repeal of M-COOL nearly a decade ago, and the coalition argues that turning back the clock on mandatory labeling could provide needed clarity as market dynamics shift.
As debates continue around beef imports, labeling standards, and trade policy, these Montana producers maintain that clearer rules will benefit both ranchers and consumers by making the supply chain more transparent from pasture to plate.
