Posted on 03/09/2013 12:16:22 PM PST by Sub-Driver
‘Slaughtered in the USA’: Labeling rule burns meat industry By Ben Goad - 03/09/13 02:38 PM ET
A meat industry already imperiled by federal budget cuts is lashing back at the Obama administration following the release of new proposed labeling regulations seen as costly and unnecessarily onerous.
The new regulations, to be published Monday for public consideration, are meant to resolve last year’s finding by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that U.S. rules give American meat products an unfair advantage over those from Canada and Mexico. If the WTO violation is not remedied by May 23, America’s top two meat-trading partners could impose damaging sanctions in the form of tariffs against U.S. meat producers and packers.
The new rules amend country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules enacted in 2009 to better inform consumers about where their food comes from. Industry groups oppose the rules because they have forced U.S. meat packers to take steps to segregate the products, driving up costs.
In light of the WTO ruling, the groups urged the government to scrap the rules altogether, through congressional action if necessary.
Drafted by the Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the new regulations take the opposite tack, adding requirements that labels include “information about where each of the production steps (i.e., born, raised, slaughtered) occurred,” according to AMS.
The proposed rule would also remove the allowance for commingling of muscle cuts.
“USDA expects that these changes will improve the overall operation of the program and also bring the current mandatory COOL requirements into compliance with U.S. international trade obligations,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
The American Meat Institute (AMI) did not concur.
“Only the government could take a costly, cumbersome rule like mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) and make it worse even as it claims to ‘fix it,’ " AMI president J. Patrick Boyle said in a statement decrying the proposal.
Government-wide federal spending cuts known as the sequester are already threatening to hit the meat industry. Vilsack has warned that federal meat inspectors would be furloughed if Congress doesn’t restore or replace the $85 billion cuts. Meat packing facilities cannot operate without inspectors. That proposed rule would compound the threat, according to the industry. Complying with the new regulations would bring costs that would ultimately be passed on to consumers, Boyle said.
“An absurd example of one of the proposed changes is this: a plant or grocery retailer that currently labels its product, ‘Product of the U.S.’ would now have to change the labels on its packages to read, ‘Born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.,’” he observed.
Beginning Monday, the public and interested parties will have 30 days to comment. AMS must consider all comments before the rule is finalized.
Free trade is free trade.
A "free trade" treaty is 8,000 pages of EXCEPTIONS to free trade.
people who love their Jimmy Dean samwiches best stay away from a slaughterhouse tour,, not for the squeamish.. but who knows,, do veggies cry?
If a stamp of “Slaughtered in America” means the meat is not horse meat, I am for it. There has been a rash of food sold in other countries that rather than beef, it is horse meat, or dog. Our FDA takes a dim view of that meat being sold in America.
labeling a meat product by where its been birthed/ raised/ slaughtered/ packaged works for me
especially in the days where they are mixing horse (and other) meats into hamburger and sausage.
if you want to be sure, I believe kosher meat is the way to go
“do veggies cry”
Just because you can’t hear them doesn’t mean they’re not screaming as they are ripped from gaia’s womb. At least animals can move about and have a chance to flee or fight back. Vegans are monsters. /s
Unfortunately, there was recently a big scandal regarding kosher meat-it really was not kosher. The slaughter house was in Iowa I believe.
then it should be immediately closed and the owners sued into bankruptcy for fraud
Cloward and Piven redux. Kill all free market businesses by overloading with regulations.
And right on this thread members of this place support such regulations.
First Lady: ‘Imagine’ an America Where Kids Beg for ‘More Fruits, Vegetables’ – ‘It is Possible...
Let them eat tofu! We will dispose of those nasty lobsters and Wagyu beef for them.
Another reason why the Dept. of Agriculture should be on the chopping block for budget cuts along with the EPA, GSA and FCC. I’m surprised that the Dept of agriculture isn’t requiring all foods to be halal certified. Just give them time.
If people are concerned about mixing up beef with horse or whatever, why not just grind your own meat? Labeling doesn’t guarantee anything. I buy locally produced meats from small farms because then I know where it comes from and the meat in the grocery store just looks bad these days. It’s more expensive yes, but if you want cheap food you get what you pay for.
“Government-wide federal spending cuts known as the sequester are already threatening to hit the meat industry. “
That is all I needed to see, to make me go blind.
I wonder if cougar is any good to eat. A cougar was seen taking off with one of my ducks a few days ago. The local Game cop told me that they make great sausage and pepperoni. ;>)
Sorta like “Fair Trade” coffee (or fill in the commodity of your choice). Who decides what’s fair? Market plus some percentage? How do I know, or the involved parties know, what’s fair? What a joke.
I lived and worked in South America for almost 10-years. I could go into any major super market in Santiago or Lima and have my pick of Argentina beef, (highly over rated), Brazilian, Paraguay, or USA labeled beef.
I have never quite understood why the cattle industry has routinely resisted this? If anything, it would result in more USA-raised beef being sold...what will most people buy; ground round from the USA or from Mexico??
I have indeed seen many of the same reports.
Well. I don’t know about you, but 100% AMERICAN beef is something I would rather have. And the idea that it’s okay to mix American food with food from other countries without your knowledge is unsavory to me.
I would much rather have oranges, tomatoes, and strawberries from MY side of the Rio Grande. Imported foods should SAY they are imported. If I CHOOSE to buy Australian lamb, which I have, then that is my choice.
Why is it more expensive to label foods straight up, rather than have labels that are misleading at best which say “PACKAGED IN THE USA” and never tell you where the stuff came from?
Very true. In fact, the horsemeat that was sold as beef was labeled as beef; hence the scandal.
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