USDA To Meat Cos.: Give Shoppers More Details

[OhioChick]

Source: AP

Labels Would Show Where Animals Born, Raised, Slaughtered

POSTED: 7:59 pm EST February 20, 2009

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has asked the meat industry to voluntarily give the public more information about where their food comes from.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told consumer groups, farm groups and meat industry leaders earlier this week that the administration would call for stricter labels on fresh meat and other foods that would show where an animal was born, raised and slaughtered.

The action comes after Obama returned from Canada, which has joined Mexico in protesting the so-called "country of origin" labels in a complaint to the World Trade Organization. The Agriculture Department abruptly canceled a scheduled announcement of the decision Wednesday morning, with little explanation, a day before Obama's trip.

The department announced the changes Friday afternoon, after Obama's return, and Vilsack sent a letter to the meat industry detailing the requests.

"The Department of Agriculture will be closely reviewing industry compliance," Vilsack said in the letter, dated Friday.

In calling for the stricter guidelines, the Obama administration is breaking from rules announced by the department shortly before President George W. Bush left office. The labeling law was enacted in a wide-ranging farm bill last year, but much of it was left up to interpretation by the Department of Agriculture.

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