COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING RECOMMENDATIONS RELEASED

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 10, 1997 -- A beef industry panel studying country-of-origin labeling for beef recommends that the industry enforce labeling of "U.S. Beef" and "imported" beef and address the complexities of labeling ground beef, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) reported. Cattle producers will discuss the recommendations during the NCBA International Markets Committee meeting at the 1998 Cattle Industry Centennial Convention & Trade Show in Denver, Feb. 4-7.

"Consumers have the right to know the origin of the meat they purchase," said panel chairman Stan Flitner, a cattle producer from Greybull, Wyo. "Over time, country of origin labeling requirements have been liberally interpreted by USDA -- largely to the benefit of processors, and in favor of imported products."

Federal law requires most imports, including beef, to bear labels indicating their country of origin when they enter the United States. However, once non-retail items enter the country and are further processed, USDA meat and poultry inspection laws consider them to be domestic products.

"Bills have been introduced in Congress that would impose expanded country-of-origin labeling requirements at the retail level. NCBA supports legislation to require country-of-origin labeling," Flitner said.

"Industry standards or industry-enforced requirements would be preferred," he said. "However, the task force determined that government requirements for labeling must be considered as a viable alternative."

Task force recommendations include:

• The definition of "U.S. Beef" will include all beef produced from cattle slaughtered in the U.S., except those cattle brought into the U.S. in "sealed" trucks for slaughter. This definition will not include imported beef trimmings, imported boxed beef, beef produced from imported carcasses or beef produced from cattle imported direct for slaughter in sealed trucks with health testing requirements waived.

• All fresh muscle cuts offered for sale at the retail meat case, and not meeting the definition of U.S. beef, will be labeled as "imported." The imported label will be required regardless of whether the product is graded with USDA Quality Grade and the identity will be maintained to the retail meat case.

• The "U.S. Beef" label will be available for ground beef if individuals or firms wish to meet criteria for the domestic label beef and market accordingly. Otherwise it would be labeled "blended product," or "blended with imported beef." Due to the unique complexity of labeling ground beef, a pilot study of significant scope and magnitude will be developed to test consumer response to, and costs of, labeling ground beef as "imported," "U.S. Beef" or percentage of "imported and U.S. Beef." If there is not a significant cost to the U.S. producer labeling will become mandatory industry-wide. Additional research funds will be directed to developing additional information about potential improvements in source verifications and accountability -- and consumer acceptance of ground beef -- through labeling.

The full task force report can be found on the web at www.beef.org/hill.

Initiated in 1898, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the marketing organization and trade association for America's one million cattle farmers and ranchers. With offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C., NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation's food and fiber industry.