USDA inspected VS USA Beef

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Show Heifer

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Jan 28, 2007
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2,221
I can't stand it anymore.....the fast food chains, the resturants, groc stores are hiding behind words. And obviously most people don't understand the words. "USDA Inspected"  DOES NOT MEAN USA RAISED BEEF.  When I confronted the "meat manager" at wal-mart, he hee-hawed around the words and IMPLIED that USDA inspected meant USA raised beef. When I point blank ask him, he finally admited that their meat was imported and the USDA just stamped the box.
When I ask the manager at a fast food place where they got their beef, the reply was "the beef is 100% USDA inspected". I ask him if is was US RAISED BEEF. And he said they didn't know. But it was "USDA Inspected.".

I AM SICK OF USDA INSPECTED. Heavens knows the gov't can't do anything else right, why do we expect them to inspect millions of pounds of meat??? Why is the US livestock producers standing by and not raising hell about the insinuation that the USDA INSPECTED means US RAISED MEAT????  ???

I am sick and tired of it. And now, I am just plain MAD. :mad:

 

Cowboy

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Apr 13, 2007
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McCook Ne.
I am with you on this one -- for sure!

Every day now I see adds on TV saying -- 100% USDA BEEF, these are primarily from Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonalds of course. "NONE" of this beef, or at best VERY little is frmo USA sources. Most if not all is imported from South America. They can buy it for 50 cents on the dollar or less, so money is what it is all about. Sure they call it USDA inspected, but all that means is that something RED is in the box they opened, and it did come from a refirigerated reefer off of a ship -- so what!

I try and refrain from stirring too amny pots of soup in case I spill one, but this one NEEDS to be dumped over. We wonder why our market flucuates all the time, I know I do. The major reason our in country market goes up some times at all is that we are in the slow season for imports.

I watched alot of the Superior Livestock sale this week -- they sold 325,000 head of weaned and yearling cattle. The market was down from this time last year by a considerable amount iin most of the offerings. Good steers at 550 bringing 110-115.00 -- where last year they were 130 to 150 or even more ! Good cattle -- no slouches!

I also am mad at going into Wallmart. Some of the selected cuts clearly are marked Excell or IBP ((USED to be any way)) -- but now are just plain market USDA beef. US Choice or Select. That means nothing of origin -- not one darn thing!

8.58 a pound for Rib Eyes -- and select at that.

You go Show Hfr -- stay mad as hell -- it's going to take alot more of us to do any thing about it. The chances of the local Wallmart shelving USA beef raised by your local feedlot is slim indeed, at least until we all go in and say NO -- we AIN'T buyin it any more -- we want US BEEF , not just USDA!

My soap box for today folks -- but I just had to get involved with this one!

Terry
 

shortyjock89

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Mar 6, 2007
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IL
It really is ridiculous..and it should be changed.  If all the beef producers in the U.S. stopped buying meat from Wal-Mart and other supermarkets........wait no beef producer in his right mind would trade in his home-raised beef for some dark-cutter stuff at some big store.  So boycotting the stores wouldn't matter because none of us (or at least very few) buy our meat from a store.  What if we all signed some massive petition and took it to Congress demanding that they stamp "imported beef" on foreign stuff instead of "USDA Inspected".  If they want to put the USDA part on there, great.  Just be truthful with the consumer instead of dancing around the subject.  Now I'm gettin all worked up about it.  I think it's a good thing....Good work Show Hef (lol)
 

Will

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May 7, 2007
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Location
Jay Ok
A few years ago their was a huge push for federal legislation called COOL or Country of Origin Labeling.  I was a little involved in the lobbying to get that legislation passed.  Basically it said at the grocery store level they would have to label were the product came from,  it amazed me that some beef related organization were against the bill.  I find it interesting that the toys from McDonald's have the country they originated in stamped right on them but we have no idea about the burger.  It is my understanding to be qualify for USDA approval all the importer has to do is sign a affidavit that their plant inspects to USDA spects.  Their is no agency that does any checking to see if they tell the truth or not.  I have tour plants in the USA and in other countries,  the plants are very differant.  Now I will get off of my soap box.
Will
 

cowz

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Jan 10, 2007
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I do not mean to sound negative here, but since I work in the regulatory world.........here goes....this is way too simple.  ANY MEAT PRODUCT SOLD IN A RETAIL OUTLET WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MUST BE USDA INSPECTED!  This is a no brainer.  If you have a restaurant and you are serving meat products that are not produced in a USDA inspected plant, you are breaking the law!  Imported meat must still be USDA inspected before consumption here.

I believe that our meat and ag product supply in this country is so vast, there is simply no excuse (corporate greed)for selling foreign meats or grains in our country.

We do have a problem keeping enough state and federal inspectors on the road.  Unfortunely, some smaller retail outlets try to cheat by bringing in meat under the table that has not been inspected.  Listeria is a huge problem in small operations.  Makes me crazy. :mad:
 

ROAD WARRIOR

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Jun 9, 2007
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Iowa
I think it is odd that there hasn't been an add campaign - made in America beef. The Beef it's whats for dinner campaign was a good add that has been around for years. Maybe we should bring this to the attention of our cattlemens assoc. and push for a new add campaign. Ideas for the new pitch ?
 

shorthorns r us

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Apr 9, 2007
Messages
900
locally grown farmers markets are getting big in this area. non-urban food consumers want american, or even closer, grown food. people fondly remember great-grandma's green beans. and how about a farm fresh egg?
 

knabe

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Feb 7, 2007
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Hollister, CA
here's my take on this.  this metaphor probably won't work,but here goes.

you used to see a lot of commercials touting the little jingle,  the union label
http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/06-04/06-02-04/l02ca230.htm

to me, americans just don't care.  i was discussing illegal aliens with three of my neighbors who use them extensively.  american labor is just too expensive they complain.  it wouldn't be, if laws were enforced.  beef markets can massage the numbers by sourcing meats from differents places to keep distribution lines running smoothly.  mandate country of origin and you will segment the display case into different countries which will evolve into less american made beef because it will cost more.  i feel the free market should be encouraged to allow prominent packaging so that the segment who will actually purchase us products can do so easily.  the one's who talk the talk but never purchase (they're the one's hiring the illegals at home depot) are the one's that are tearing america apart.  they don't care if meat comes from the us.  they are creating a two tiered society with good intentions.  but free markets are not really free.  they come with enforcement of contracts.  there is insufficient pressure on capital assets in america to drive down the cost of production because it is tied so closely with mandated, yes mandated, growth.  with a static population, speculative pricing on housing would go down, labor would have to shift both in illegals redistributing to other labor markets, but also, legal labor pools switching to other industries.  i maintain that an uneducated public fooled into feeling on every issue rather than thinking, is ruining us and our reputation because we no longer have any principles, nor are we allowed to as multiculturalism and moral relativism takes over our schools with no actual debate on issues occurring, only constant testing.  we can't even judge that stoning to death is bad, because we have the death penalty, and for goodness sakes, who are we to judge?  i also maintain that we can no longer come up with a document like the declaration of independence or the constitution and the bill of rights because we are more interested in polls, rather than consequences, and therefore with each person converted to capitalism comes 10 more that have little concept or respect for the rule of law.  when everything is ok except limits, you will see anarchy.  heads will be on pikes and no one will every remember it was about life, liberty, and the pursuit of property (changed to happiness by one of the greatest hypocrites and cowards, T. Jefferson).

the cost of production is always lower in the long run if markets determine the set points, rather than government manipulation, which always places a ceiling on the producer so they can predictably redistribute price manipulated products to the poor.  true socialism.  true incentive elimination. 

it's very easy to solve this problem.  who cares if BK, mcdonalds walmart, costco uses the lowest quality meat.  the USDA stamp can only be used on the kill floor in the US.  let all others come up with a system that conforms to our standards, but it has to be called something else.  place the added cost on the imported product rather than the other way around.  consumer reports and other information distribution outlets will let the consumer know where their antifreeze is located!!!!!!!  then, when problems occur, they will have to adjust, absorb the cost of c*%p, and rationalize to the american public the voracity of their product.  we change nothing, all other products change.  in other words, the unlabeled product is the better product, not the other way around.
 
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