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Country-of-origin labels show no economic benefit for meat: KSU study
Story Date: 12/5/2012
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Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 12/4/12
Opponents of mandatory country-of-origin labels (MCOOL) are winning some support from a new study conducted by the Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics indicating that MCOOL requirements provide no economic benefit when it comes to the sale of meat products.
The study indicates a general lack of enthusiasm and low consumer knowledge about MCOOL, which has required grocery chains to provide sourcing information for fresh beef, pork, lamb, chicken, goat and other food products since March 2009. The study involved consumer interviews, an online survey and in-store observations and showed that demand has not improved for any meat regardless of species and that U.S. shoppers don’t look for origin information when buying proteins.
Canada and Mexico have filed official challenges to MCOOL with the World Trade Organization, which has mostly ruled in favor of the challenges. U.S. officials are working on their own response to the WTO rulings.
Specifics on the KSU study of the impact of MCOOL on consumers are available here.
For more stories, go to http://www.meatingplace.com/.
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