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AMI, NCBA judge proposed COOL rules to be worse for U.S. industry
Story Date: 3/11/2013
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Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 3/11/13
A new Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) rule proposed by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service would make current costly, cumbersome requirements for meat processors even more onerous and disruptive, according to American Meat Institute President J. Patrick Boyle.
"The proposed amendments will only further hinder our trading relationships with our partners, raise the cost of beef for consumers and result in retaliatory tariffs being placed on our export products," warns National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Scott George.
The proposed rule, aimed at bringing the 2009 law into compliance with U.S. obligations under the World Trade Organization, will be published in the March 11 Federal Register with a 30-day comment period.
“Complying with this proposal, should it become mandatory, will create more excessive costs that will be passed onto consumers,” said Boyle in a statement. “An absurd example of one of the proposed changes is this: a plant or grocery retailer that currently labels its product, 'Product of the U.S.' would now have to change the labels on its packages to read, 'Born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.'"
Boyle called COOL labeling “conceptually flawed” with “anti-free trade objectives.”
"The requirement that all products sold at retail be labeled with information noting the birth, raising and slaughter will place additional recordkeeping burdens on processors and retailers, contrary to the administration’s assertion. Moreover, this combined with the elimination of the ability to comingle muscle cuts, will only further add to the costs of processing non-U.S. born, raised and slaughtered products," NCBA's George said.
"NCBA has maintained that there is no regulatory fix that can be put in place to bring the current COOL rule into compliance with our World Trade Organization (WTO) obligation or that will satisfy our top two trading partners; Mexico and Canada. With the amended rule, the USDA has proven that to be true."
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