A
Anonymous
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I received a letter from Hanta Yo's favorite Governor ( :lol: ) about two weeks ago with all the final rules of the M-COOL placarding law which the Dept. of Labor and Industry has accepted based on the Governors Country of Origin Labeling Advisory Council... The Dept is now taking written comments and a public hearing will be held on Nov 29, 2006...Hopefully it can be implemented shortly afterward...
Funny how much you can progress and can accomplish when you have Government Administration working with you- that believes in promoting USA raised BEEF and Montana raised BEEF, rather than fighting your every step......
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Country-of-origin labels coming soon in Montana
T.J. GILLES
The Billings Outpost
November 16, 2006
Montana (MT), US
Montana consumers soon will know the nationality of those burgers and steaks in grocery-store display cases.
Mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) was included in the 2002 federal farm law and was to cover all beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts. Originally, the program was to be in place in 2004, then was delayed until Sept. 30 of this year. An appropriations bill delayed that on the federal level until Sept. 30, 2008.
The American Meat Institute and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have long opposed the “mandatory” provisions of the law. Since 1997, the Cattlemen’s group has gone on record as supporting a “voluntary” meat-labeling provision.
The Meat Institute (of which NCBA is a member) says it is “deeply concerned about the costly and disruptive nature of mandatory country-of-origin labeling” and says such labeling, “similar to other non-food safety claims, should be determined in the marketplace and driven by consumers’ willingness to pay for perceived added or discounted value.”
Meanwhile, Montana and a few other beef-producing states have passed - and seem ready to implement - programs to identify the nationalities of meats sold in stores. The bill passed in the 2005 session requires grocers to identify the country of origin of all beef, pork, poultry and lamb sold. If the store doesn’t know where the meat came from, it must be identified as “country of origin unknown.”
The bill also allows Montana-grown meat to be labeled “made in Montana” instead of “product of the U.S.A.” Deadline for public comment is Nov. 29, and soon thereafter, displays will have to include the nationality of meats that are for sale.
“It’s one thing to pass a law - finally - at the Legislature because we can’t do it federally,” said Dan Teigen of the Northern Plains Resource Council Ag Task Force. “It’s another thing to implement it.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture finally relented and allowed Montana and a handful of other states to identify meats’ origin.
“It’s tough doing USDA’s work for them” said Mr. Teigen. “Real tough ... . Maybe we should send a bill to USDA for having done their work for them.”
“USDA said states can do placards; they just can’t do labels,” Mr. Teigen said last weekend at the 35th annual NPRC meeting. Although the Montana Retail Association resisted the state measure, Mr. Teigen said stores are set up to do display-case placards. They do it all the time to advertise specials or prices.
The requirement does not cover processed foods, frozen foods or restaurant fare, Mr. Teigen said. But he said the proposal will “work for retailers and consumers.”
NRPC, the National Farmers Union and R-CALF USA have been supporters of country of origin labeling, saying consumers have a right to know if their food originated in other countries where health risks such as BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or “mad cow” disease) may have been detected. The only cattle in the United States found to have BSE hailed from Canada.
Mr. Teigen said he suspects the meat industry and National Cattlemen’s group oppose such disclosure because they don’t want the public to know how much of their beef immigrated (legally) from Mexico on the hoof and was fed to market weights in feedlots in Texas and other Southwestern states.
billingsnews.com
Funny how much you can progress and can accomplish when you have Government Administration working with you- that believes in promoting USA raised BEEF and Montana raised BEEF, rather than fighting your every step......
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Country-of-origin labels coming soon in Montana
T.J. GILLES
The Billings Outpost
November 16, 2006
Montana (MT), US
Montana consumers soon will know the nationality of those burgers and steaks in grocery-store display cases.
Mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) was included in the 2002 federal farm law and was to cover all beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts. Originally, the program was to be in place in 2004, then was delayed until Sept. 30 of this year. An appropriations bill delayed that on the federal level until Sept. 30, 2008.
The American Meat Institute and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have long opposed the “mandatory” provisions of the law. Since 1997, the Cattlemen’s group has gone on record as supporting a “voluntary” meat-labeling provision.
The Meat Institute (of which NCBA is a member) says it is “deeply concerned about the costly and disruptive nature of mandatory country-of-origin labeling” and says such labeling, “similar to other non-food safety claims, should be determined in the marketplace and driven by consumers’ willingness to pay for perceived added or discounted value.”
Meanwhile, Montana and a few other beef-producing states have passed - and seem ready to implement - programs to identify the nationalities of meats sold in stores. The bill passed in the 2005 session requires grocers to identify the country of origin of all beef, pork, poultry and lamb sold. If the store doesn’t know where the meat came from, it must be identified as “country of origin unknown.”
The bill also allows Montana-grown meat to be labeled “made in Montana” instead of “product of the U.S.A.” Deadline for public comment is Nov. 29, and soon thereafter, displays will have to include the nationality of meats that are for sale.
“It’s one thing to pass a law - finally - at the Legislature because we can’t do it federally,” said Dan Teigen of the Northern Plains Resource Council Ag Task Force. “It’s another thing to implement it.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture finally relented and allowed Montana and a handful of other states to identify meats’ origin.
“It’s tough doing USDA’s work for them” said Mr. Teigen. “Real tough ... . Maybe we should send a bill to USDA for having done their work for them.”
“USDA said states can do placards; they just can’t do labels,” Mr. Teigen said last weekend at the 35th annual NPRC meeting. Although the Montana Retail Association resisted the state measure, Mr. Teigen said stores are set up to do display-case placards. They do it all the time to advertise specials or prices.
The requirement does not cover processed foods, frozen foods or restaurant fare, Mr. Teigen said. But he said the proposal will “work for retailers and consumers.”
NRPC, the National Farmers Union and R-CALF USA have been supporters of country of origin labeling, saying consumers have a right to know if their food originated in other countries where health risks such as BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or “mad cow” disease) may have been detected. The only cattle in the United States found to have BSE hailed from Canada.
Mr. Teigen said he suspects the meat industry and National Cattlemen’s group oppose such disclosure because they don’t want the public to know how much of their beef immigrated (legally) from Mexico on the hoof and was fed to market weights in feedlots in Texas and other Southwestern states.
billingsnews.com