Bon Appétit

We don't need no stinkin' food safety regulations. As long as steak is only $1.09/lb who cares, right?

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Reply to
Bud Doobie
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WTO says COOL violates their trade rules; nothing at all to do w/ safety regulations...

Reply to
dpb

I couldn't read the article because WSJ requires substantial money, (Do both of you two subscribe?) -- Would anyone like to quote it? -- but what they say and what the full story is are often two different things. Or one is their driving force but the other follows.

Sure the WTO wants to promote trade, I guess, and didn't like the law, but now the country of origin no longer needs to be on the label, and if the other country's food safety regs (read that China, and maybe other places) are weak, customers won't be able to consider that before buying. The Obama admin was opposed to this change, but it was part of the big budget bill with a bunch of compromises.

The only fresh, maybe previously frozen, not sure, meat I recall being labeled like this was lamb from New Zealand. I don't think I've ever seen beef from Argentina, if that is imported, and afa packaged meats in forms that don't require refrigeration, I don't know.

Reply to
Micky

| I couldn't read the article because WSJ requires substantial money, | (Do both of you two subscribe?) -- Would anyone like to quote it? -- | but what they say and what the full story is are often two different | things. Or one is their driving force but the other follows. |

There are several articles here:

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I think this may be the original regulation:

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I don't understand where the WTO gets authority to make these rulings, but the meat industry doesn't want the regulations, anyway. As with GMOs, the suppliers don't want the public to even be introduced to the idea that country of origin might matter. That clears the way to set up regulation-free cattle factories in 3rd-world countries.

| Sure the WTO wants to promote trade, I guess, and didn't like the law, | but now the country of origin no longer needs to be on the label, and | if the other country's food safety regs (read that China, and maybe | other places) are weak, customers won't be able to consider that | before buying. The Obama admin was opposed to this change, but it | was part of the big budget bill with a bunch of compromises. | | The only fresh, maybe previously frozen, not sure, meat I recall being | labeled like this was lamb from New Zealand. I don't think I've ever | seen beef from Argentina, if that is imported, and afa packaged meats | in forms that don't require refrigeration, I don't know.

It's probably not a big deal in the US, since we produce so much meat, anyway. But as you say, it's nice to be able to make one's own decisions. As with GMOs, the ban on labeling is a clear admission that there's reason for concern.

Personally I won't buy *any* food when it's not indicated where it came from. I thought country of origin was required on all produce, but I'm not actually certain whether that's still true. Unfortunately, the markings are not always true. More than once I've pointed out to clerks in WF that their signs are not right. For instance, garlic that's clearly labeled as from Argentina on the package, yet the WF sign says California. I've yet to come across a WF clerk who cares or even seems to understand what I'm talking about. So... what am I to think of the garlic labeled as coming from California but which is just out loose, not in a package with labeling?

Reply to
Mayayana

I once bought some beef from CostCo that was labeled 'product of the US, Mexico, and Canada'. Considering that it was a top sirloin roast I guess the cow really got around.

Reply to
rbowman

If your steak is full of deadly bacteria, don't worry. You can always get another steak.

Reply to
hah

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