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Groups pushing for strong grass-fed standard

[/title][fusion_text]Wednesday, March 23rd 2016

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service pulled the plug on a voluntary grass-fed beef labeling claim in January, and a group of stakeholders want to see something similar reinstated by the department. On Wednesday, nine organizations sent a letter to Food Safety and Inspection Service Deputy Under Secretary Al Almanza calling for “updated guidance” for grass-fed labels. The letter was signed by the American Grassfed Association; Center for Rural Affairs; Consumer Federation of America; Consumer Reports; CROPP Cooperative; Food Animal Concerns Trust; National Farmers Union; National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; and the Western Organization of Resource Councils. Under the now defunct AMS standard, grass and forage were required to be the only feed source “consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning.” Feeding of any kind of grain or grain byproducts was prohibited, and pasture access was required during growing season. The letter noted that FSIS staff “has indicated that they plan to include language in the updated guidance that addresses the issues that were created by AMS’s revocation of their grassfed label claim standard.

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