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Senate bill would void delay in meat-origin law

Posted on: Thursday, 17 November 2005, 15:52 CST

By Charles Abbott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Eleven farm-state senators from both political parties unveiled a bill on Thursday to require country-of-origin labels on packages of red meat beginning in autumn 2006, voiding a two-year delay approved by Congress earlier this month.

Backers say the label would distinguish U.S.-grown beef, pork and mutton from foreign goods on the grocery store shelf. Opponents, including foodmakers and grocers, say mandatory labeling would be a costly nuisance and should be repealed.

Enacted as part of a 2002 law, mandatory labeling has been delayed twice by Congress. President Bush signed the latest delay, until September 30, 2008, into law a week ago.

At a news conference, senators said the two-year delay was written into a must-pass spending bill without an open vote.

Their bill would delete the two-year delay from law, returning the starting date for mandatory labels to September 30, 2006.

"American consumers are being cheated," said Democrat Byron Dorgan of North Dakota. Republican Conrad Burns of Montana said, "Some way or other, we're going to get this implemented."

Also sponsoring the bill were Republicans Mike Enzi and Craig Thomas of Wyoming, Charles Grassley of Iowa and John Thune of South Dakota. Democratic supporters include Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Max Baucus of Montana, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Tom Harkin of Iowa.

Source: REUTERS

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