Two Colorado politicians have introduced a bill titled “Beef Country of Origin Recognition System”
that would require retailers to post signs informing consumers whether beef was
derived exclusively from animals that were born, raised, and slaughtered in the
United States.
Beef farmers are behind the move.
“The Beef COORS bill corrects the federal government’s
deceptive labeling scheme by reserving the 'USA Beef' placard only for beef
exclusively derived from animals that were born, raised, and slaughtered in the
United States,” said the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund (R-CALF) and the
United Stockgrowers of America. They were quoting State Representative Kimmi
Lewis who, with state senator Vicki Marble, is sponsoring the legislation.
Federal regulations allow beef products derived from cattle
raised in other countries but slaughtered in the United States to be labeled as
“Product of the U.S.A.”
Lewis and Marble introduced a similar bill during last
year’s General Assembly.
Canadian farmers spent millions of dollars to successfully
challenge several U.S. federal government attempts to make country of origin
labeling mandatory.
The labeling law made it expensive for packers to keep
separate slaughter, cooler and processing lines and so they would pay less for
Canadian livestock, and some wouldn’t buy any.
That backed up livestock in Canada, lowering the price of
all Canadian cattle and hogs.
