So, I was grocery shopping at a chain store today, and all of the beef and pork

[deminks]

packages had labels that said "product of Canada, US, and Mexico." I had not seen that label before. So it's all mixed together now? We can't really tell where it comes from? I left the store.

But all we have is that chain, and Walmart. There is another regional grocery 20 miles south of me. It may be worth the trip.

[Greyhound]

1. Which chain? n/t

[deminks]

2. Dillons - its a chain around here in the midwest.

[Trajan]

27. Dillons = Kroger

= Fred Meyer = Ralphs = King Sooper = Food 4 Less = QFC

[Greyhound]

29. Thanks. n/t

[grasswire]

3. did you tell the manager you were leaving without buying meat...

....because you can't tell its origin?

[deminks]

5. Weekend, the manager wasn't there. I plan on writing a letter.

It will give me time to do a little more research. I had not heard of this label before.

[SoCalDem]

4. Team up with a friend/relative & buy direct

Buy a hind quarter & split it..

We used to do that & loved it.. The farmer we bought from even threw in home-made sausage, some bacon & chicken too..

It was grass fed.& local, and very tasty ..and we got to specify how we wanted it cut & what percentage of fat in the hamburger..& we told them we liked very lean, so they even trimmed it for us:)

[deminks]

8. I may just do that, there are several farmers in the area that do that.

:)

[notadmblnd]

22. That's what I do.

Bought a 1200lb bull a couple of months ago for 600.00. Had him slaughtered and processed for another 300 dollars and now have 800 pounds of meat in my freezer. I made my own corned beef from the briskets and they were absolutely the best I've ever eaten.

[knitter4democracy]

23. It's really the cheapest way to go.

Then you know where the meat's from, too. We have a local butcher that does all the small farms in the area, and they have the best bacon, hands-down.

Then there's hunting. We just got a deer from a culling of the herd at an MSU research facility (the deer were eating the research crops), and it only cost $75 for 110 hanging weight.

[jmowreader]

6. They do that at Food Lion stores too

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

15. also with a hint of bleach...

[rucky]

7. Are non- natural born livestock qualified to be dinner?

[ben_meyers]

9. It's Bushco's North American Union!

Ive been getting email warnings about this for years, and it looks like this is just the beginning.

http://www.stopthenorthamericanunion.com/

[JVS]

10. I've seen product of the EU on tablewine too.

Something gives me the feeling that I'm drinking wine from grapes grown next to Romania's finest petrochemical processing plant.

[napi21]

11. You're going to find that everywhere. That's was the agreement the

gov't finally reached with the meat packing industry.

I'm guessing a bit here, but I suspect it was because slaughter houses buy their meats from many different sources, and they claimed it would be too difficult for them to isolate to a single source.

I wouldn't bee too concerned. Your meats have been coming from the same places for many years. FWIW, my husband just retired from the meat cutting business on 10/31/08. I know point of origin labels have been mandated on seafood for a little over a year, and they've been pusing the beef & pork industry to do the same for a long time. Other than buying from a local farmer, this labeling is the best you're going to get for the forseeable future.

[MadHound]

12. If you have a freezer, buy in bulk from a local farmer

I generally buy a quarter cow at a time, which lasts us a couple of years between the two of us. I buy it from my neighbor, know how it was raised, and it is a much better quality beef. Also, the cost ran be a flat $2.87/pound, no matter the cut.

You can do the same with pork, chicken, eggs, etc. It's getting to the point that between local livestock and my garden and orchard, I'm hardly buying any food that isn't grown within a thirty mile radius.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

13. It's been that way for years, you're just noticing now, because laws requiring label of origin

If you want to really know the source, you've gotta buy local.

[Metta]

14. Any organic farms near you?

Or a health food store that could supply you or steer you in the right direction?

[Berry Cool]

16. Get it...'steer'???? Heh heh.

You made a funny.

[deminks]

17. I like that - steer me in the right direction.

Heh, heh. :D

Yes, I know of one organic beef producer west of me. I will have to look them up.

[asjr]

18. It is on the meat at my Kroger store also.

wanted to buzz the men in the freezer and ask them to identify just which part was from Mexico and Canada.

[leftofthedial]

19. Kroger too

It's a good thing. With Mexico and Canada contributing, at least you have a small chance of getting something that's not contaminated.

[Muttocracy]

20. USDA Country of Origin Labeling - new version into effect in September

so maybe that's why it's new. I don't buy meat, but I've noticed odd mixed labels on fruit juice for a while.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5073626

Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) became effective on September 30, 2008.

...

COOL for Muscle Cuts of Meat

A. Product of the U.S.—meat from animals
born, raised, and slaughtered in the United
States or from animals present in the United
States on or prior to July 15, 2008.

B. Product of the U.S., Country X—meat
from animals born in Country X and raised
and slaughtered in the United States. These
animals were not exclusively born, raised,
and slaughtered in the United States or imported
for immediate slaughter.

C. Product of Country X, U.S.—meat from
animals imported into the United States for
immediate slaughter.

D. Product of Country X—foreign meat
imported into the United States.

...

Meat covered commodities (e.g., rib eye steaks) derived from U.S. and mixed origin animals
that are commingled during a production day may carry the mixed origin claim, Product of the U.S., Country X, Country Y.

[notadmblnd]

21. Did you know that an entire pig would only cost you a couple hundred dollars?

That includes slaughter and cut to your specifications. Find a farmer who raises them, then you'll know where your meat comes from.

[Obamanaut]

24. You didn't leave any rogue carts in the parking lot, did you? nt

[deminks]

25. No, heh heh.

I returned my cart to the cart place at the front of the store. But doesn't that put someone out of a job???

Kidding

O8)

[katmondoo]

26. Publix in Florida does it too

[carlyhippy]

28. become a vegetarian and you'll never have to worry about where that junk comes from

I am thinking of becoming one myself

Carly