July 13, 2023

Petition to USDA seeks to prevent questionable claims of "climate-friendly" beef

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has petitioned the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prohibit beef producers like Tyson Foods from claiming their products as "climate-friendly" and to require independent verification of all climate claims companies use to market beef to consumers.

EWG earlier this year petitioned the USDA to prohibit "Low-Carbon Beef" labels and require third-party verification for similar carbon claims. The EWG also seeks for a requirement of a numerical on-pack carbon disclosure when such claims are made.

The environmental group argued in its petition that misleading climate claims like "climate-friendly" on beef products or allowing climate claims without sufficient verification and an accompanying numerical carbon disclosure violates federal laws prohibiting false and misleading claims.

"There is no single food choice less friendly for the climate than beef," said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at EWG. "The only thing brazen about Tyson's beef is its claim that it can ever be climate-friendly."

Per gram of protein, beef production produces approximately nine times more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than poultry, six-and-a-half times more than pork and 25 times more than soybeans, according to EWG.

- Food Safety News