Farm groups urge country labels for food
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A coalition of small farm groups urged Congress on Wednesday to enact legislation this year that would tell consumers which country produced the meat, fruit and other food they buy.
Without mandatory country of origin labeling, "consumers continue to be denied the ability to differentiate between U.S. and imported food," the National Farmers Union and a band of over 200 farm and rural groups said in a letter to lawmakers.
In 2002, Congress passed a law requiring mandatory country of origin labels for beef, pork, lamb, produce, peanuts and seafood. But so far, only labeling for fish has taken effect. Other foods are scheduled to follow suit in September 2008.
The Farmers Union and its peers urged Congress to allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement the law by September 2007.
"Our coalition has grown impatient with the implementation delays ... which restricted USDA funds to implement this very popular provision," the letter continued.
Consumer advocates support the change, but some in the food and farm industries have resisted what is seen as a costly and complex new set of regulations.
The letter was also signed by groups such as the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, the Organic Consumers Association and Women Involved in Farm Economics.
