Members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) passed a directive to continue advocating for transparent labeling and inspection of cell-cultured protein products.
While NCBA President Todd Wilkinson says cattle producers aren’t afraid of competition, he knows that consumers will continue choosing real high-quality beef over cell-cultured imitations. “Our priority is ensuring that consumers know the difference between real beef and cell-cultured products through transparent and accurate labeling,”
Wilkinson says. “We have already been successful at encouraging the USDA to conduct robust inspections and oversight to protect food safety.”
The directive was brought forward by the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association, California Cattlemen’s Association, and the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and passed during the NCBA’s summer business meeting. All policies passed at the meeting get forwarded to NCBA’s general membership for a full vote this fall.
Earlier this year, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued two grants of inspection to cell-cultured chicken imitation products.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)