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H.R. 4576, “THE FOOD PROMOTION ACT OF 2004,” TO BE MARKED-UP BY HOUSE AG COMMITTEE
OAKLAND, CA – H.R. 4576, “The Food Promotion Act of 2004,” is scheduled to be marked up this week by the House Agriculture Committee. This legislation provides for the voluntary country of origin labeling of meat, fish, and perishable agricultural products as well as a survey of the country of origin labeling of produce. This NMA-supported bill:
§ represents a bipartisan effort to move country-of-origin labeling forward;
§ has broad support among producer groups in the beef, pork, seafood, and produce sectors (from some 325 food and agriculture organizations);
§ will allow consumers to choose within the marketplace how much they value country-of-origin information;
§ will benefit U.S. producers by promoting American-grown foods;
§ can include everyone who wants to participate, from producers to processors to retail and food service; and
§ calls for USDA to implement a labeling program that should be similar to the many voluntary labeling programs that currently exist and have already proven their value for producers and consumers alike.
The mark-up will take place Thursday, July 22 around 9:30 a.m. EST.
The Food Promotion Act of 2004 is strongly supported by the FAIR Coalition, an alliance of organizations representing each of the commodities covered by the COOL legislation. NMA, a member of the FAIR Coalition, has long supported a voluntary program.
National Meat Association is a non-profit industry association. Since 1946, NMA has represented meat packers and processors, equipment manufacturers and food suppliers who provide services to the meat industry. The association has members throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Australia and Mexico.
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