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U.S. NEWSTuesday 5 January 2016

US repeals meat labeling law after trade rulings against it

Meat labels are seen at a grocery store in Washington. It’s now harder to find out where your meat Roberts of Kansas, chair- Repeal became inevitable
was born, raised and slaughtered. After more than a decade of wrangling, Congress repealed a man of the Senate Agricul- once the United States lost
meat labeling law that required retailers to include the animal’s country of origin on packages of ture, Nutrition and Forestry all its WTO appeals and the
pork and beef. Committee. The longtime retaliation became a pos-
opponent of the labels sibility. But the consumer
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) helped add the repeal to groups criticized Congress
a massive year-end spend- for repealing the law for
MARY JALONICK clude the animal’s country edly ruled against them. ing bill. After the law was ground meat and pork in
Associated Press of origin on packages of The WTO recently autho- passed, Agriculture Secre- addition to the fresh cuts of
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. red meat. It’s a major vic- rized Canada and Mexico, tary Tom Vilsack said the meat that were the subject
consumers will now find it tory for the meat industry, which had challenged the government immediately of WTO concerns.
harder to learn where their which had fought the law law, to begin more than would stop requiring the la- The bill was “a holiday gift
beef or pork was born, in Congress and the courts $1 billion in economic re- bels. Consumer groups say to the meatpacking indus-
raised and slaughtered. since the early 2000s. taliation against the United the repeal is a disappoint- try from Congress,” com-
After more than a decade Lawmakers said they had States. ment just as consumers are plained the advocacy
of wrangling, Congress has no choice but to get rid of “U.S. exporters can now asking for more information group Food and Water
repealed a labeling law the labels after the World breathe a sigh of relief,” on their food packages. Watch. Meatpackers who
that required retailers to in- Trade Organization repeat- said Republican Sen. Pat Advocates say the labels buy Mexican cattle were
help people make more some of the law’s most ag-
informed buying decisions gressive opponents.
and encourage purchases The repeal also was a
of American meat. big defeat for lawmak-
Before repeal, the labels ers from northern border
told shoppers that a par- states where U.S. ranch-
ticular cut of meat was ers directly compete with
“born in Canada, raised Canadian ranchers. Those
and slaughtered in the lawmakers insisted on in-
United States” or “born, cluding the labeling in the
raised and slaughtered in 2002 and 2008 farm bills
the United States.” Con- and this year fought to re-
gress first required the la- place it with a voluntary
bels in 2002 amid fears of program once the WTO rul-
mad cow disease from ings came down. But after
imported cattle. The labels years of success, this time
weren’t on most packag- they were not able to find
es until 2009, though, due enough support.
to delays pushed by the Roger Johnson of the Na-
meat industry. tional Farmers Union, which
has heavy membership
First-of-a-kind drug approvals continued rise in 2015 in those states, said the
group was “furious” about
MATTHEW PERRONE tions and higher price tags. While the trend toward Sanders have both outlined the repeal.
AP Health Writer The Food and Drug Admin- specialty medicines is proposals designed to curb “Packers will be able to
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ap- istration approved 45 drugs good news for industry and prices. once again deliberate-
provals for first-of-a-kind with never-before-sold in- patients, it is likely to stir de- The FDA is not allowed to ly deceive consumers,”
drugs climbed last year, gredients in 2015, edging bate about rising prescrip- consider prices when ap- Johnson said.
pushing the annual tally of past the previous year’s tion drug prices. proving medicines, though Still, there was some good
new U.S. drugs to its highest tally of 41, That issue has become a some experts argue it news for food labeling ad-
level in 19 years. which had been the high- top concern for consumers, should. vocates in the spending
The rising figures reflect est number since 1996. a subject of congressional One of the most expen- bill. Despite an aggressive
an industry-wide focus on FDA drug approvals are scrutiny and even an issue sive drugs of the year was push by the food industry,
drugs for rare and hard-to- considered a barometer of on the presidential cam- Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ lawmakers decided not to
treat diseases, which often industry innovation and the paign trail. Orkambi for cystic fibrosis, add language that would
come with streamlined re- government’s efficiency in Democratic candidates priced at $259,000 for a have blocked manda-
views, extra patent protec- reviewing new therapies. Hillary Clinton and Bernie year’s supply.q tory labeling of genetically
modified ingredients. q