Subcommittee agrees to delay COOL for meat until 2007
Subcommittee agrees to delay COOL for meat until 2007
WASHINGTON -- Opponents of country-of-origin labeling got their feet in the door May 16 when a congressional subcommittee agreed to delay implementing the law for meat products until 2007.
Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX), chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee, added language to a U.S. Department of Agriculture spending bill that would delay the controversial labeling program for meat products until September 2007.
Congress passed similar legislation in 2003 that delayed COOL for fruits and vegetables and other commodities until September 2006. The food industry will be closely watching the legislation to see if it ends up delaying COOL across-the-board as the bill makes its way through Congress.
Many groups representing the meat industry, such as the American Meat Institute and the National Pork Producers Council, have long opposed mandatory labeling for meat, and just recently praised legislation introduced May 4 that would create a voluntary, market-driven labeling program for U.S. meat products. "Imposing added burdens on a financially strained industry with a lack of any demonstrable consumer demand is misguided public policy, and we are pleased the members of the House are recognizing this fact," said AMI President J. Patrick Boyle.
But backers of a mandatory program say labeling is an important marketing tool to sell U.S. products, and that the vote was disappointing.
"Delaying mandatory country-of-origin labeling for meat is yet another missed opportunity to promote U.S. products, said National Farmers Union President Dave Frederickson.
Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX), chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee, added language to a U.S. Department of Agriculture spending bill that would delay the controversial labeling program for meat products until September 2007.
Congress passed similar legislation in 2003 that delayed COOL for fruits and vegetables and other commodities until September 2006. The food industry will be closely watching the legislation to see if it ends up delaying COOL across-the-board as the bill makes its way through Congress.
Many groups representing the meat industry, such as the American Meat Institute and the National Pork Producers Council, have long opposed mandatory labeling for meat, and just recently praised legislation introduced May 4 that would create a voluntary, market-driven labeling program for U.S. meat products. "Imposing added burdens on a financially strained industry with a lack of any demonstrable consumer demand is misguided public policy, and we are pleased the members of the House are recognizing this fact," said AMI President J. Patrick Boyle.
But backers of a mandatory program say labeling is an important marketing tool to sell U.S. products, and that the vote was disappointing.
"Delaying mandatory country-of-origin labeling for meat is yet another missed opportunity to promote U.S. products, said National Farmers Union President Dave Frederickson.
