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.
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Florida panthers prowl the woodlands of Broward County at night -
Nothing like tracking three rowdy fence busting Brahma steers at 10pm on a hot summer night and suddenly seeing huge cat tracks the size of a big stallion’s hoofs following you - esp. when you are not carrying any serious firearms.
Time to call it a night and build a stout hogwire and fencepost gravity-gate trap the next day.
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I don't think it's American beef growers who resist it, but some major beef sellers (slaughterhouses and some retailers) who sell lots of imported beef. Sellers of many different type products in the US fight country of origin labels. Catfish sellers is another as US growers want labeling, but those who import from Asia do not want labeling. Same story in many industries.
“I wonder if cougar is any good to eat.”
My Husband and I have read many Westerns. We have read mention of Mountain Lion being the best tasting of any wild meat. Never have had a chance to try it ourselves but plain old cat is reported as popular in the Far East. As for a really big cat. . . maybe it is good???
Yes exactly. I think it’s always a gamble to buy ground meat of any sort unless you have it done by your butcher or get it right from the source. There’s ammonia and all sorts of nasty stuff in it. If I was poor I would be a vegetarian.
If it comes back and I see it going after my birds, I just might find out. ;>)
If we find that we don’t like it, my dog certainly will. Falco is a GSD and he loves raw meat.
I wouldn’t like that experience.
If this cougar comes back during the day, like it just did at 11 in the morning, I’ll shoot it with my AR.... one shot and from my bathroom window.
Then I’ll learn how to skin a cat. I’ve heard there’s more than one way to skin a cat. ;>)
Well you should personally pay for it then. Don't include me. I am not interested in meat prices increasing due to regulations. It is simply amazing how Americans made it to the 21st century without a nanny state to take care of very single thing in their lives.You would think we would have gone extinct long ago. Geez, only 20 years ago, government was half the size it is today.
I think they were sued and the owner had personal legal problems both criminal and civil. I hasten to add the aforementioned is from memory. I believe it was about one to two years ago. Google search.
By making things more costly to produce, it’s more likely horse meat will be a cost saving tactic.
I pay a little more already for fish NOT farm raised in China.
I’d pay more for pork products not slaughtered and processed in China as well.
Totally worth it IMO.
Why do you need some government agency telling you to label the product?
Can’t the market manage it?
Let’s not succumb to the myth that government keeps our food safe. That’s absurd and the facts are against it.
Labeling requirements and their enforcement is a rare area that libertarians can support government mandates.
Picked up a package of rabbit in the meat cooler at the local market yesterday. It was labeled “Product of China”. Put that back real quick.
Government shouldn’t have to tell you. You would think AMERICAN producers would WANT to label their products. And the same goes for any country that wishes for us to BUY their products. That is only commonsense...unless you are trying to hide something, (like horsemeat or dog or cat,) in which case, go ahead and make me suspicious enough to leave THOSE products on the shelf.
That is why I absolutely will not buy prepackaged hamburgers and/or meatballs or anything of that nature. I actually DO read labels and there are just some things I refuse to put in my house let alone in my stomach or my child’s stomach.
For instance, anything that says ‘meat’ sauce or ‘meat’ filled that doesn’t say 100% BEEF stays on the store shelf.
That's what I was thinking, too. Sounds like a "no brainer" to me.
What thav you got against eating horse meat?
I hear there is a new slaughter house for horses being established in new Mexico.
Relying on a Socialist Obama to amend Free Trade Communism
Of course, most Free Trader Communists are too ignorant to realize that Obama, and most liberal Democrats, are Free Trade supporters. Free Trade is a Liberal idea
No wonder why our country is going down the dump hole
There making the prices skyrocket on purpose. Between sequester, and this action they might just get the reaction from the people they want. They own the press, and they will spin it the Republicans are to blame.
There’s no sense in allowing importing frauds to deceive customers about meat was slaughtered in another country by possibly unfriendly foreigners under possibly unsanitary conditions.
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