Farm Bureau endorses Senate origin labeling legislation

Farm Bureau endorses Senate origin labeling legislation    The American Farm Bureau Federation applauded the Senate’s introduction of voluntary country-of-origin labeling for meat products to counter previously passed legislation that would mandate this activity.
   “Senate introduction of this voluntary, market-based program would appeal to consumers, successfully increase market visibility for U.S. food products and let farmers produce food instead of paperwork,” said AFB President Bob Stallman in a statement.
   The Senate bill, introduced Wednesday by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark, is a companion to legislation introduced earlier by the House.
   Both bills, if passed, will replace the mandatory origin labeling for meats, which is scheduled to take effect on Sept. 30, 2006.
   The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated the costs of the current mandatory origin labeling program could be as much as $4 billion in the first year alone, with several hundred million dollars a year in recurring costs. Stallman said the USDA also has estimated that more than 60 percent of these costs would be borne directly by the U.S. meat and livestock industry.
   “Mandatory country-of-origin labeling for meat would place significant new costs on beef, hog and sheep producers, with the largest impact falling on independent producers,” Stallman said. “This is clearly a marketing issue, not a food safety issue, and by approving a voluntary program, Congress would be placing control in the hands of consumers at the marketplace.”