Congressional Leaders Support M-COOL

[Oldtimer]

CN_Today 1/23/2007 7:30:00 PM


Key US Reps Voice Support For Meat Origin Labels



WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)-Key Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have voiced support in recent days for enacting a mandatory country-of-origin labeling law for beef, pork and lamb.



Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said Tuesday he is intent on seeing a labeling law enacted as early as the end of this year, but more likely sometime in 2008.



Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said Friday she strongly supports legislation to require that consumers know where the meat they buy comes from.



Peterson, speaking to reporters after a committee meeting, said the labeling is needed, but the rules devised by the Bush administration to implement the labeling law needs to be changed.



“The rule that was written in 2003 I think has got some problems and is not a good rule so we haven’t decided exactly how to proceed here,“ Peterson said, without explaining what those problems were.



“I think it’s clear that country-of-origin labeling is going to be implemented, it’s just a question of when and a question of us trying to get this process set up so that the implementation can actually be accomplished in a way that’s sensible and reasonable,“ he said.



The law mandating origin labels on meat products was originally ratified as part of the 2002 farm bill and slated to be implemented in 2004, but opponents have successfully delayed that from happening.



Peterson, DeLauro and other proponents of country-of-origin labeling differ sharply with the Bush administration which still stands against the law.



U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns criticized origin labeling Tuesday.



“I just don’t think it makes sense. It’s an expensive process,“ he said.



Labeling, he stressed, does not improve food safety and may create complications with trading partners.



“What tends to happen in these situations is whatever action we take sends a signal to the rest of the world that not only can they take that action, but maybe they should take another step and another step and another step and it just becomes a serious problem for trading relationships,“ Johanns said.



Source: Bill Tomson Dow Jones Newswires 202-646-0088 [email protected]

 

[Oldtimer]

Lawmakers Push To "Beef" Up Meat Packing Requirements



Jan 29 2007 7:36AM

KXMBTV CBS 12

Bismarck - Mandan

North Dakota, US



Some farm-state senators want to move up the deadline for all meat products to carry a country-of-origin label.

The deadline would be moved up a year... from September 30th of 2008 to September 30th of this year.



The Senate bill is sponsored by Democrat Max Baucus of Montana and Republican Craig Thomas of Wyoming.



North Dakota Democratic Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad have signed on.



A similar bill has been introduced in the House.



Supporters of labeling say it will give consumers more information and enable them to choose American beef.



But meatpackers and supermarkets say the measure will be burdensome and costly.



Country-of-origin labeling was included in the 2002 Farm Bill and was set to go into effect in 2004.

But Congress has repeatedly pushed back the deadline for all products in the bill except seafood.



kxbm.com

 

[Oldtimer]

OCM Supports Mandatory COOL Bill



Source: OCM Media Release

January 30, 2007



The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) strongly supports new legislation that will move up the deadline for all meat products to carry a country-of-origin label. The lead sponsors of this new legislation are Senators Max Baucus (D MT) and Craig Thomas (R WY) with co-sponsor support by John Thune (R SD), Charles Grassley (R IA), John Tester (D MT), Jeff Bingaman (D NM), Byron Dorgan (D ND), Mike Enzi (R WY), and Kent Conrad (D ND).



The newly filed bill would move the deadline for implementation from September 30, 2008 to September 30, 2007. Mandatory country of origin labeling was passed as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, but USDA has worked to undermine the law. Meat packers persuaded some lawmakers to prevent implementation through denying funding in the appropriations process.



“USDA’s anti-consumer position was destined to ultimately fail,” said Keith Mudd, OCM president. “The moneyed interests can only resist consumer demands for so long. Soon, consumers of beef and pork will learn where the livestock was raised just as consumers of seafood now know the origin of that product.”



Representative Henry Bonilla (R TX) spearheaded the drive to prevent COOL from being implemented. Bonilla was defeated in a run-off election in December, 2006.



The Organization for Competitive Markets is a nonprofit organization working for American food producers, consumers and rural communities.



competitivemarkets.com

 

[SSAP]

And Mr. Rick Fox (an official with the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund) is doing his part in promoting American beef in a sensible and reasonable way:
From Brownfield Ag News for America, Jan 30, 2007
http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestal ... 576FF98E7C

"The prion, you know, is kind of like Superman - it's indestructible," Fox said. "So if one of these prions come in here, it's here in the United States forever."

Considering the 12 yr old Texas cow and the 10 year old Alabama cow how do you think consumers and anti-beef radical groups will respond - will they tie together Mr Fox's words and the COOL "US" label on that pack of beef ......

In his haste to slander the Canadian industry today, he never thought about tomorrow and how it would negatively effect the consumer's perception of your domestic US beef.

Beef promotion programs might need a few more dollars for this one .....

 

[Oldtimer]

And Mr. Rick Fox (an official with the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund) is doing his part in promoting American beef in a sensible and reasonable way:
From Brownfield Ag News for America, Jan 30, 2007
http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestal ... 576FF98E7C

"The prion, you know, is kind of like Superman - it's indestructible," Fox said. "So if one of these prions come in here, it's here in the United States forever."

Considering the 12 yr old Texas cow and the 10 year old Alabama cow how do you think consumers and anti-beef radical groups will respond - will they tie together Mr Fox's words and the COOL "US" label on that pack of beef ......

In his haste to slander the Canadian industry today, he never thought about tomorrow and how it would negatively effect the consumer's perception of your domestic US beef.

Beef promotion programs might need a few more dollars for this one .....

Actually its true...And the anti beef and consumers groups are quite read up on the science of BSE so have known it for years- its nothing new to them...The prion is very hard to destroy...

I'd rather have folks representing me be honest and open with everyone-- then sticking their head in the sand like the Canadians cattle groups...

I think SDSGA deserves an ATTA BOY for standing up for its member and getting him paid the money he was owed...To me that is why you belong to cattlemens organizations- to represent and assist you when you need it....

 

[skcatlman]

Last time i looked 10 or 12 senators aren't enough to pass a bill. As far as they go i think they will have a tough time pushing their adgenda. I do think if done correctly COOL might be OK. none of this origin unkonown crap. If you want to label; label it properly. I bought some yellow Mustard the other day the label said product of Canada. Processed and inspected in the USA. That is the kind of labeling i think is responsible. Yeah the mustard seed is from canada but the processing, packaging and inspection for quality was the under the supervision of the USDA. Basically they take reponsiblity if there is a problem with the product. I could go for that.