Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the American Beef Labeling Act on Feb. 5, which would reinstate mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef.
The bill would require the U.S. trade representative and USDA to develop a World Trade Organization-compliant way of reinstating MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment. If MCOOL failed to be reinstated within one year, it would automatically be reinstated for beef only. The United States Cattlemen’s Association and Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, (R-CALF) USA applauded the measure’s reintroduction.
“Our cattle and beef markets cannot function properly when consumers are denied basic market information, such as where the beef they purchase for their families was produced, under which country’s food production and food safety regime it was produced, and whether their purchase will help strengthen our domestic food supply chains,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.
