South Dakota leading effort to support ranchers in beef labeling dispute

Attorney General Jackley joined by other states in amicus court brief against packers

Photo by Kyle Mackie on Unsplash

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is leading a bipartisan coalition of 11 attorneys general in filing a court brief supporting cattle ranchers who say manufacturers are misleading consumers by selling foreign-sourced beef under a “Product of USA” label.

“Ranchers in South Dakota and across America work hard to produce the highest quality beef products in the world,” Jackley said in release. “The ‘Product of USA’ label is a brand that reflects the quality of American beef.”

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by South Dakota ranchers in federal court after the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed manufacturers to use the label on imported beef. The district court sided with the ranchers, and the case is now before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.