USCA Takes Fake Meat Issue Before FDA

Earlier this month, the FDA held a public meeting in Washington D.C. to discuss Foods Produced using Cell Culture Technology; many in the Ag industry know it as fake meat.  The United States Cattlemen’s Association’s Maggie Nutter was the sole producer testifying at the hearing.  Nutter said the meeting was very educational, not only for her, but members of the FDA.

She added she’s not sure how the FDA’s recent announcement that it would more closely monitor the use of the word milk, how it could impact cattle producers.  Nutter said it could have a ripple effect.

“The American Milk Producers Federation was there.  And they were pretty vocal, and then to have groups like us stand up and say ‘hey, you know, we’re concerned about labeling’, maybe it did get them to look a little at that.  And I hope so.”

Nutter said the issue is not just the beef industry looking to flex its muscle.  She said fake meat could hurt the bottom lines of producers.

“How does that [calling those products meat] effect trade?  So, we have beef quotas when we’re exporting to other countries where we don’t get tariffs up to a certain quota, we have quotas on other countries when they are importing things to the United States.”

The USCA has said on multiple occasions that the term meat pertains exclusively to a protein food product harvested from the flesh of an animal in the traditional manner.  Nutter said it remains unclear how calling Cell Culture Technology meat will impact the bottom lines and trade opportunities for growers across the U.S.

She adds fake meat products also try to capitalize on the successful check off campaigns, such as “Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner.”

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