February 16, 2007--The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) joined nearly 40 other food and agriculture organizations in urging members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to oppose the request to assess "user fees" for federally mandated meat, poultry and egg inspections, which was included in the 2008 U.S. Department of Agriculture budget proposal.

These user fees for government mandated food safety inspection programs represents an additional $96 million tax on consumers, livestock and poultry producers and the meat, poultry and egg processing industries.

The food safety-tax proposal would put meat, poultry and egg products at a competitive disadvantage in the domestic and international marketplace, compared with other food and imported products not subject to this tax.

"Past attempts to impose user fees have been unsuccessful and ASI joins the other associations in asking Congress to once again reject this assessment," stated ASI Executive Director Peter Orwick.
Staff contact: Peter Orwick, ext. 33

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