Making an election-year promise that does not have to become a reality until well after the voting isn’t new. Since Congress surrendered Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling in a trade war with Canada and Mexico, American consumers have wanted a reliable replacement.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has promised a
Continue Reading USDA offers to close ‘Product of USA’ loophole, but not until 2026
Any resurrection requires at least a little faith.
Nobody has more confidence than R-CALF’s CEO Bill Bullard for the return of mandatory county of origin labeling, or MCOOL, for meat.
MCOOL is popular with many consumers and America’s livestock producers.
Congress repealed MCOOL in 2015 after the World Trade Organization
Continue Reading R-CALF sees MCOOL opening for beef because of new EV origin requirments
A law not costing the treasury trillions yet delivering something consumers want might be unusual in this day and age, but thats what a bipartisan foursome of U.S. senators have planned.
The four: U.S. Sens. John Thune, R-SD; Jon Tester, D-MT; Mike Rounds, R-SD; and Cory Booker, D-NJ, are sponsoring
Continue Reading Bipartisan senators say mandatory beef labeling is what American consumers want
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has petitioned USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for a new labeling scheme for beef products.
The petition, assigned to the FSIS Office of Policy and Program Development, is being considered for rulemaking. It is the second petition received by FSIS this year.
Continue Reading It won’t be COOL, but cattlemen say it will improve beef labeling
The latest attempt to force the USDA to reinstate country of origin labeling (COOL) rules fell short. A federal judge in New Mexico granted motions on Aug. 27 by defendants Tyson Foods Inc., Cargill Meat Solutions, JBS USA, and National Beef Packing Co., to dismiss the two consolidated cases involving
Continue Reading Judge leaves USDA to decide on ‘Product of USA,’ but FTC might lend a hand on the labels
Out of their concern for food safety and their tendency to support American producers, consumers have long supported Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) of meat products.
But those “Made in the USA” signs and labels have been missing or suspect ever since Congress bowed in 2015 to the World Trade
Continue Reading Perdue takes the ‘Made in USA’ beef labeling option over country of origin
Beef products should be labeled as “Made in the USA,” or “Product of the USA” or “USA beef” only if they come from cattle born, raised and harvested in the United States, according to the majority of comments on a petition.
Most of the nearly 1,900 people and organizations who’ve
Continue Reading Consumer food safety concerns cited as reason for Made in USA beef labeling
Country of origin labeling for meat once involved lofty policy debates in Congress and international bodies like the World Trade Organization.
Now two influential groups have decided it would help domestic producers and consumers alike if USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) would change its policies. The Lincoln, NE-based
Continue Reading Petition seeks to change rules for ‘Product of USA’ meat labels
Opponents who could not see the issue more differently have nonetheless put the decision in the hands of a federal judge who heard the arguments last month, and she has not yet decided. At issue is whether USDA was wrong to remove mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements after
Continue Reading Cattlemen ask judge to impose mandatory COOL for beef, pork
At least 30 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, are already open for new legislative business. Most others will join the legislative season by next month.
They are essential to food safety if for no other reason than state legislatures provide all or partial funding for many
Continue Reading State legislative season underway with food bills on the table
