USDA proposes new COOL rule
March 11, 2013 | 04:31 PM
The Agriculture Department on Friday proposed a new rule for country of origin labeling in an attempt to resolve a World Trade Organization ruling that the current rule discriminates against Canadian and Mexican livestock and meat exports.
The U.S. government has until May 23 to achieve compliance.
The American Meat Institute and the Canadian government, which have opposed the labeling regime in the past, objected to the new rule while the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association and Food and Water Watch, groups that favor labeling, praised it.
Under the new rule, more details would be provided. Current rules allow meat to be labeled “Product of the U.S.” or “Product of the U.S. and Canada,” but under the new rule meat would be labeled depending on where birth and production occurred, such as “Born, Raised and Slaughtered in the United States” or “Born in Canada, raised and slaughtered in the United States.”
All muscle meat in a package would have to come from a single source, but ground meat could be mixed.
Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said he was “extremely disappointed” and said that rather than bring the United States into compliance with its WTO obligations, the rule would increase discrimination against Canadian animals and meat, Reuters reported.
American Meat Institute President Patrick Boyle also said the proposed rule would make the problem worse, Reuters said.
The United States Cattlemen’s Association said it was “applauding” the rule.
“USCA has insisted all along that the most effective and efficient methods of coming into compliance with the WTO ruling should not be difficult,” USCA President John Wooster said in a news release.
“We are pleased to know that the Office of Management and Budget, which reviewed the proposed rule prior to its release, has determined that the changes are not economically significant, will not increase consumer prices and will not place any more burden on producers or processors.”
Food & Water Watch said it “commends USDA for taking sensible steps” to strengthen the rule.
“The proposed changes eliminate the vague and misleading ‘mixed origin’ country of origin label for meat and ensures that each cut of meat clearly displays each stage of production (where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered) on the label. This commonsense approach improves the usefulness of the information consumers receive from the label and allows livestock producers to distinguish their products in the marketplace,” the group said.
The U.S. government has until May 23 to achieve compliance.
The American Meat Institute and the Canadian government, which have opposed the labeling regime in the past, objected to the new rule while the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association and Food and Water Watch, groups that favor labeling, praised it.
Under the new rule, more details would be provided. Current rules allow meat to be labeled “Product of the U.S.” or “Product of the U.S. and Canada,” but under the new rule meat would be labeled depending on where birth and production occurred, such as “Born, Raised and Slaughtered in the United States” or “Born in Canada, raised and slaughtered in the United States.”
All muscle meat in a package would have to come from a single source, but ground meat could be mixed.
Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said he was “extremely disappointed” and said that rather than bring the United States into compliance with its WTO obligations, the rule would increase discrimination against Canadian animals and meat, Reuters reported.
American Meat Institute President Patrick Boyle also said the proposed rule would make the problem worse, Reuters said.
The United States Cattlemen’s Association said it was “applauding” the rule.
“USCA has insisted all along that the most effective and efficient methods of coming into compliance with the WTO ruling should not be difficult,” USCA President John Wooster said in a news release.
“We are pleased to know that the Office of Management and Budget, which reviewed the proposed rule prior to its release, has determined that the changes are not economically significant, will not increase consumer prices and will not place any more burden on producers or processors.”
Food & Water Watch said it “commends USDA for taking sensible steps” to strengthen the rule.
“The proposed changes eliminate the vague and misleading ‘mixed origin’ country of origin label for meat and ensures that each cut of meat clearly displays each stage of production (where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered) on the label. This commonsense approach improves the usefulness of the information consumers receive from the label and allows livestock producers to distinguish their products in the marketplace,” the group said.
