Harriet Hageman, a Republican congresswoman from Wyoming, has introduced the Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act of 2023.
The bill, co-led by Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, would prevent beef retailers from labeling foreign beef as an American-made product which it defines as from animals “exclusively born, raised, slaughtered, and packaged in the United States.”
The bill would fine processors $5,000 per pound of beef for breaking the law.
In March, President Joe Biden announced a proposed rule that would allow the voluntary “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” label claim to be used on meat, poultry and egg products only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.
The current rule allows for products to use the labels if the animals were processed in the U.S., regardless of where they were raised.
Canada and Mexico oppose Biden’s proposed rules and will definitely oppose the new bill introduced in the House of Representatives.
