House Votes To Keep Consumers More Uninformed.

[Guest guest]

House Panel Votes to Repeal Food-Origin Labels. Here's

the Motivation: " Food makers and some livestock groups

have lobbied for months to repeal the law " 7/23

 

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House Panel Votes to Repeal Food-Origin Labels

 

Thu Jul 22, 2:16 PM ET

 

Add Politics - Reuters to My

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House Agriculture Committee

approved a bill on Thursday that would repeal a law

requiring country-of-origin labels on meat sold in

American grocery stores in favor of voluntary labels.

 

 

 

Food makers and some livestock groups have lobbied for

months to repeal the law, which requires the labels to

appear on packages of meat, seafood and fresh produce

beginning in 2006. Consumer and other grower groups

contend the mandatory labels will give shoppers useful

information and distinguish U.S.-grown food from

competitors in retail stores.

 

Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, chairman of the House

panel, said voluntary labels were preferable to avoid

imposing new costs on foodmakers.

 

" The legislation we passed today will strike the

onerous mandatory system and require the secretary of

agriculture to establish in its place a rigorous

voluntary program, " Goodlatte said after the committee

vote.

 

The mandatory labels were originally required to be

placed on red meat, seafood, produce and peanuts on

Sept. 30, 2004. But Congress voted earlier this year

to delay the starting date until 2006 for everything

but fish.

 

It remains unclear whether repealing the law will

occur this year.

 

The committee's bill must go before the full House of

Representatives for a vote. No companion bill exists

in the Senate, where there is more support for

mandatory country-of-origin labels.