Vilsack Asking for Labeling Changes
February 20, 2009
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is asking U.S. meatpackers to voluntarily impose a stricter regime for country-of-origin labeling.
Vilsack said his interpretation of the law is that Congress believes "American consumers need to know and should know when something is an all-American product" and that the Bush rule did not carry this out.
Vilsack said he will formally ask the meat industry to make the changes. If the industry does not respond immediately, Vilsack said he will start a new rulemaking process. He also said he may convert his suggested voluntary regime into a mandatory rule at some point in the future.
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