Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling

FROM MAY OF 2013 UNTIL LATE IN 2015 THE USA HAD MANDATORY COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING AS THE LAW. IT WAS CALLED MCOOL. MCOOL WAS A GOOD THING. IT REQUIRED MEAT COMPANIES TO LABEL THEIR PRODUCT WITH WHERE THE MEAT FROM THE ANIMAL THAT THEY WERE SELLING WAS BORN, RAISED, AND SLAUGHTERED. THAT IS PRETTY GOOD INFORMATION FOR A CONSUMER TO HAVE. IT MIGHT READ, FOR EXAMPLE:

• PRODUCT OF BRASIL
  
  
• BORN IN MEXICO, RAISED AND SLAUGHTERED IN THE USA.
  
  
• BORN, RAISED, AND SLAUGHTERED IN THE USA.
  
  

THIS REQUIRED LABELING GAVE CONSUMERS COMPLETE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION REGARDING THE ORIGIN OF THE BEEF THAT THEY BOUGHT AT THE GROCERY STORE TO FEED TO THEIR FAMILIES. THAT WAS NICE...

THE NATIONAL CATTLEMAN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION [NCBA], AND THE MEXICAN & CANADIAN CATTLE ORGANIZATIONS, AND 4 TRADE GROUPS THAT REPRESENT BEEF PACKERS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE MCOOL LAW. IN THEIR SUIT, THEY ALLEDGE-

1. The market for livestock and meat in the United States, Canada and Mexico is highly integrated, and U.S. packing plants are dependent on live cattle imports from Canada and Mexico, particularly plants close to the Canadian and Mexican borders.
2. Meat from livestock imported from Canada and Mexico is interchangeable with meat from domestic animals.
3. And perhaps their most famous argument: They said “beef is beef, whether the cattle were born in Montana, Manitoba or Mazatlán.”
4. All meat sold in the U.S., whether imported or domestic, is subject to health and safety requirements overseen by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
5. It is too costly to differentiate beef based on its origin.
   
   

[IT IS INTERESTING THAT THEY ALLEGED THAT THE EXPENSE OF DIFFERENTIATING BEEF IS MORE COSTLY THAN IT IS ON FISH, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NUTS, LAMB, AND CHICKEN. MCOOL HAS BEEN IN EFFECT ON THESE PRODUCTS SINCE THE MID-2000'S.]

INTERNATIONAL MEAT COMPANIES ARE HIGHLY MOTIVATED TO KEEP THE CONSUMER IGNORANT OF WHERE THEIR BEEF IS SOURCED TO MAXIMIZE THEIR PROFITABILITY. I AM OVER 70 YEARS OLD AND THE LEVEL OF BREEDING CATTLE ARE AT THE LOWEST LEVEL IN THIS COUNTRY THAN THEY HAVE BEEN IN MY LIFETIME. THE DEPRIVATION OF THIS INFORMATION FROM THE CONSUMER IS BREAKING AMERICAN CATTLE PRODUCING FAMILIES.

FOR THESE REASONS, AND MORE- AMERICAN CONSUMERS AND AMERICAN CATTLEMEN NEED MANDATORY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING REINSTATED FOR BEEF.