House to consider repeal of meat labeling law

WASHINGTON (AP) – A House committee is moving quickly to get rid of labels on packages of meat that say where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered.

The House Agriculture Committee will consider a bill to repeal a “country of origin” labeling law for meat today, two days after the World Trade Organization ruled against parts of it. The WTO said the U.S. labels put Canadian and Mexican livestock at a disadvantage.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway and other members of the panel introduced the bill Monday to repeal the labeling requirements for beef, pork and poultry. The bill would go beyond just the muscle cuts of red meat that were covered under the WTO case, also repealing country of origin labeling for poultry, ground beef and ground pork.