WASHINGTON -- House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said Jan. 28 that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack should not make any changes in the mandatory country-of-origin labeling rule that the Bush administration issued and the Obama administration is reviewing.
"It would be a big mistake to open" country-of-origin labeling, Peterson said. "Not everybody is going to be happy." The Agriculture Department should "get the program up and running and get some experience" and reexamine the program after six months, Peterson said.
That position puts Peterson at odds with the National Farmers Union and other groups that say the Bush rule makes it too easy for meatpackers to mix meat from the United States, Canada and Mexico and label it as from all three countries
Peterson acknowledged that much of the meat that is appearing in stores carries the three-country label, but said that he thinks that 60 percent to 70 percent of the meat will be labeled in the category of born, raised and slaughtered in the United States.
If 80 percent of the meat is labeled as of mixed origin after some time, Peterson said, he would favor reopening the rule. He also said Congress would be likely to get involved under those circumstances. Peterson said the labeling program was not established "to make more business" for foreign producers.
