House Budget Bill Blocks New Meat Labels

[DUreader]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2909649,00.html



WASHINGTON (AP) - Labels that tell consumers
whether the hamburger in U.S. grocery coolers is
imported or homegrown seem less likely now than
it did a year ago.

In a battle pitting grocers, packinghouses and
large livestock operations against smaller ranches
in the nation's heartland, the House voted Monday
to effectively rescind the country-of-origin labeling
requirements signed into law last year and due to
take effect by fall 2004.

Legislation that would forbid the department from
spending any money to force companies to stick
the labels on beef, pork and lamb products was
approved on a 347-64 vote as part of a $17
billion budget bill for the Agriculture Department.

The labeling requirement is much more popular in
the Senate, where it has the support of powerful
farm state lawmakers like Democratic Leader Tom
Daschle of South Dakota and Republican Senate
Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley of
Iowa. Both are from meat-producing states.

[Mari333]

1. Glad Im a vegetarian

but I buy meat for my family...now who the hell knows where it comes from...whats in it, or what to expect!

Okay, it better say "free range ranch raised, organic, no hormones"...thats the least the bastards can do.