e-Newsletter

Issue 28

    2. New labeling rules for food products



New certificate of origin labeling rules for certain food products will go into effect September 30, 2004. The rules will affect certain cuts of (including ground) beef, pork and lamb, as well as fish (farmed and wild), perishable agricultural products and peanuts. Processed foods are exempt and facilities that sell/serve food are also exempt (such as restaurants and cafeterias).

Applicable food products must have the country of origin labeled, marked, and/or stamped clearly and visibly on the product, package, display, etc. at the final point of sale. Retailers who fail to properly label the products may be subject to a fine of $10,000 for each violation. A product is considered “U.S. origin” only if it is purely a U.S. product. In other words, it would have to born in the U.S., grown in the U.S., raised in the U.S. and slaughtered/harvested in the U.S.

Criticism over the proposed law is that it will unduly put the cost of the program on retailers.

SOURCE:
http://www.gattiassociates.com/