A bipartisan bill to restore country-of-origin labeling to American meat is due to be introduced in Congress next week.
A mandatory country-of-origin labeling act (MCOOL) will be sponsored by U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) The legislation will seek to restore and narrow the definition of “Made in USA” or similar phrasing on meat packaging.
Country-of-origin labeling was abandoned by act of Congress in 2015, after the World Trade Organization ruled that it was a violation of international trade agreements. This led to a situation where meat from animals raised, even processed, outside the U.S. can legally say “Product of USA” even if the only steps performed in this country were final cutting and packaging.
The new legislation will seek to remedy that situation by directing U.S. trade and agriculture officials to develop a way to impose MCOOL without running afoul of global trade regulations. If that doesn’t happen within a year after the legislation is implemented, MCOOL would automatically go into effect for beef.
“Unfortunately, the current beef labeling system in this country allows imported beef that is neither born nor raised in the United States, but simply finished here, to be labeled as a product of the USA,” Thune said in a statement. “This process is unfair to cattle producers and misleading for consumers. When you see a ‘product of the USA’ label on the grocery store shelf, it should mean just that.”
