Livestock Groups Urge Congress to Reinstate Meat Labeling Requirements

A coalition of livestock groups is calling on Congress to restore mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) requirements for beef and pork products in the upcoming farm bill. The labeling would require meat products to include information about where the livestock was born, raised, and processed.

The push to reinstate COOL comes after a similar requirement was repealed in 2015 due to a World Trade Organization ruling that allowed Canada and Mexico to impose tariffs on the US. The livestock groups argue that mandatory labeling would help consumers make informed purchasing decisions and promote competition in the meat industry.

Currently, a voluntary rule allows meat products to be labeled as “Product of USA” if they meet certain criteria, but some argue that this is not enough. “Only then will consumers be informed as to which beef was produced by American cattle farmers and ranchers and which beef was produced under some foreign country’s food safety regime,” said Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA.

However, some industry experts argue that the costs of mandatory labeling outweigh the benefits. Derrell Peel, a livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University Extension, said that the extra costs of maintaining records and sorting supply chains could lead to economic losses for producers, packers, retailers, and consumers.

Despite this, a recent survey by the Consumer Federation of America found that most consumers support more detailed information about where meat comes from on packaging. Some producers, such as the Kansas Livestock Association, support a voluntary policy that allows producers to market their products as “Made in USA” without requiring everyone to bear the costs.

A group of US senators has introduced a bill to reinstate mandatory labeling, and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) is working to add it to the Senate version of the farm bill. The current farm bill is set to expire in September, and the fate of COOL remains uncertain.