USDA extends comment period for mandatory origin labeling rule

USDA extends comment period for mandatory origin labeling rule    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended the comment period for its proposed mandatory country of origin labeling rule for meats, fruits, and vegetables through Feb. 27.
   “Based on the inquiries we are receiving from both proponents and opponents of the program about its implementation status, we are extending the comment period to ensure that those wishing to comment have the opportunity to do so,” said A.J. Yates, administrator for the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, in a statement.
   The agency had planned to close the comment period on Dec. 29. USDA published the proposed rule in the Federal Register on Oct. 30.
   Yates said the extension would not prevent the agency from meeting the statutory requirements for the mandatory origin-labeling program. Congress established the rule under the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act. The rule is scheduled for implementation Sept. 30.
   However, the fruit and vegetable industry lobbied Capitol Hill to slow down the rule’s implementation. Congress is poised to pass a provision in the fiscal year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill that would extend the origin rule’s implementation until September 2006. The House passed its version of the bill on Dec. 12. The Senate is expected to take up the bill when it returns on Jan. 20.