It seems like a common-sense approach that consumers should know where their food comes from.
Recently new rules called Country of Original Labeling for U.S. meatpackers were put into place that does just that — they require labels that say where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. The rules apply to cuts such as steaks and roasts but do not apply to ground beef.
But the rules are not going unchallenged. Pressure from the World Trade Organization will pit consumers against free-trade advocates, who say the regulations will create an unfair advantage for U.S. meat and will discriminate against animals from Canada and Mexico.
The U.S. in 2009 required that meat be labeled with its country of origin, but Canada and Mexico objected, saying that the rule would prompt slaughterhouses to prefer U.S. animals. The WTO agreed, saying that it was too much work complying with the rule which did not provide consumers with enough information.
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