R-CALF requests meeting with AMI to discuss COOL

[OldDog/NewTricks]

Legal/Regulatory News
R-CALF requests meeting with AMI to discuss COOL

By John Gregerson on 6/19/2007 for Meatingplace.com

Thus far, the pen has proved mightier than the sword in an ongoing dispute between the American Meat Institute and producer group R-CALF USA over Country of Origin Labeling.

That may change, now that R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard has requested a meeting with AMI, providing AMI "desires to assist its meatpacking members in seeking an effective, efficient and accurate means of verifying the country of origin of live cattle, without the burden of additional paperwork and with the benefit of minimizing errors."

Longtime industry watchers know that AMI regards COOL as an expensive protectionist measure. R-CALF contends that American consumers have the right know the origins of their meat.

The latest tiff apparently resulted from R-CALF's dissatisfaction over a June 15 letter AMI sent to producers, advising them to expect to hear from meat packers in the near future, in anticipation of a September 2008 deadline for implementing COOL. To comply with the rule, AMI indicated producers should be prepared to produce "verified documentation of where the livestock purchased were born and raised and an affidavit or declaration with each load of livestock purchases, stating that there is a verifiable audit trail in place that identifies where the livestock in each load were born and raised."

Bullard maintains the letter was heavy handed, and requested it be rescinded. AMI maintains it is simply urging beef producers to follow the law.

No word on if — or when — the requested meeting will occur.