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Adding country of origin to meat labels

Country-of-origin label on a piece of meat
Grant Gerlock/NET News
Country-of-origin labels tell consumers where their meat comes from.

This interview originally aired on In the Moment on SDPB Radio.

Currently, a meat product can sport the "Product of USA" label if it was processed in the U.S. That means livestock born, raised and slaughtered outside of the country can still have a USA-based label.

Many ranchers and farmers have fought for more requirements before a product can get such a label. Some advocates have fought for those changes for over three decades. They're now beginning to see the fruits of their labor.

Cara Hetland discusses the proposed rule change with Doug Sombke, president of the South Dakota Farmers Union; Wayne Soren, a Lake Preston crop and cattle producer and vice president of the union; Scott Kolousek, a Wessington Springs cattle producer; and Oren Lesmeister, a Parade cattle rancher and District 28-A Representative and the House Minority Leader.

Cara Hetland is the Director of Radio and Journalism Content for South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Ellen Koester is a producer of In the Moment, SDPB's daily news and culture broadcast.