Last week, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) filed a legal brief in the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute over mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL), arguing that the $3 billion sought by Canada and Mexico in
Continue Reading USTR Tells WTO That COOL Damages Are Much Lower Than Estimated
Senators Introduce Bill for Voluntary COOL Label
Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced a bill Thursday that would remove certain meats from the mandatory country-of-origin (COOL) labeling program and institute a voluntary label instead. In May, the World Trade
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Ban Lifted on Beef Imports From Argentina, Brazil
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced it is lifting a ban on beef imports from Northern Argentina and 14 of Brazil’s 27 states. But the changes
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Senate Agriculture Committee Mulls Options on COOL
The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing Thursday to discuss country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat, which requires that packages sold in the U.S. indicate the country, or countries, where animals were born, raised and slaughtered.
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House Votes to Repeal Country-of-Origin Labeling for Meat
The House of Representatives has voted to repeal country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for beef, pork, and chicken. Texas Republican Rep. Michael Conaway’s Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015 passed late Wednesday night by a
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Presidential Task Force Releases Seafood Fraud Final Action Plan
The Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud has released its final action plan for implementing the 15 recommendations issued in December. The plan, unveiled Sunday at the
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China Joins List of Countries Restricting U.S. Poultry Imports Due to Avian Flu
On Tuesday, China joined a growing list of countries barring U.S. poultry imports after avian influenza was found in backyard chicken and guinea fowl flocks in Oregon and Washington. More than 30 countries have
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Food Fraud: Money Scam and Health Hazard
Despite the common belief that food fraud in the United States is a rarity, the globalized nature of our food supply chain means many of our favorite foods and ingredients travel far and wide before
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Another Barrier to U.S.-China Chicken Trade Knocked Down
Few, if any, U.S.-born chickens are going to be getting on a boat or plane for processing in China unless and until the little matter of tariffs totaling more than 135 percent goes away. And
Continue Reading Another Barrier to U.S.-China Chicken Trade Knocked Down
Three More Countries Place Restrictions on Brazilian Beef Over BSE Concerns
Three more countries — Taiwan, Chile and Jordan — have imposed restrictions on Brazilian beef after it was revealed in early December the country had a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 2010, according
Continue Reading Three More Countries Place Restrictions on Brazilian Beef Over BSE Concerns