Senator wants no USDA grades on beef, lamb imports
Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:19 PM ET
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By Charles Abbott
WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture
Department would be effectively barred from grading imported
beef and mutton under a Senate bill introduced on Wednesday
that aims to help consumers differentiate between American and
imported meat.
Sen. Tim Johnson, a Democrat from South Dakota, said his
bill was a new approach to give grocery shoppers more
information now that Congress has postponed a federal
requirement for country-of-origin labeling on packages of red
meat until Sept. 30, 2008.
Meat companies and retailers have fought the
country-of-origin label, saying it would be costly and create
too much paperwork.
"When American consumers pick up a 'USDA Choice' steak at
the grocery store, they should be guaranteed it is 100 percent
U.S. beef," Johnson said.
"People sometimes assume that a USDA quality grade for meat
products indicates the product is of U.S. origin. This is often
not the case."
Johnson's bill would amend the federal meat inspection law
to prohibit imported beef or imported lamb from being graded by
the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. It would classify
imported meat that has been graded as "misbranded."
The USDA has required since 1962 that imported carcasses,
sides and cuts be stamped with country of origin until they are
graded, but there is no requirement that the origin information
be passed on from there, Johnson said.
In 1999, Johnson filed a similar bill. He dropped that
approach to promote country-of-origin labeling, which was part
of the 2002 farm law. However, Congress has now voted twice to
delay mandatory labeling.
Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:19 PM ET
Printer Friendly | Email Article | Reprints | RSS
By Charles Abbott
WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture
Department would be effectively barred from grading imported
beef and mutton under a Senate bill introduced on Wednesday
that aims to help consumers differentiate between American and
imported meat.
Sen. Tim Johnson, a Democrat from South Dakota, said his
bill was a new approach to give grocery shoppers more
information now that Congress has postponed a federal
requirement for country-of-origin labeling on packages of red
meat until Sept. 30, 2008.
Meat companies and retailers have fought the
country-of-origin label, saying it would be costly and create
too much paperwork.
"When American consumers pick up a 'USDA Choice' steak at
the grocery store, they should be guaranteed it is 100 percent
U.S. beef," Johnson said.
"People sometimes assume that a USDA quality grade for meat
products indicates the product is of U.S. origin. This is often
not the case."
Johnson's bill would amend the federal meat inspection law
to prohibit imported beef or imported lamb from being graded by
the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. It would classify
imported meat that has been graded as "misbranded."
The USDA has required since 1962 that imported carcasses,
sides and cuts be stamped with country of origin until they are
graded, but there is no requirement that the origin information
be passed on from there, Johnson said.
In 1999, Johnson filed a similar bill. He dropped that
approach to promote country-of-origin labeling, which was part
of the 2002 farm law. However, Congress has now voted twice to
delay mandatory labeling.