GMO Labeling Bill Up Hill Battle; COOL Repeal Requirements

While the Senate Agriculture Committee Tuesday passed a GMO labeling bill by Chairman Pat Roberts, the bill faces an uphill battle in the full Senate. Ranking Committee Democrat, Debbie Stabenow does not support the bill, and other Democrats in the full Senate may follow Stabenow’s lead. Stabenow said she could not support anything other than mandatory labeling. The Roberts proposal sets a voluntary labeling standard. Politico reports it is not clear where the behind-the-scenes negotiations for a bipartisan compromise stand, but work will continue to get a solution that can pass the Senate.

A final rule amending country of origin labeling regulations by removing the requirements for muscle cuts of beef and pork, as well as ground beef and pork, have been published in the Federal Register Wednesday.  The repeal will take effect immediately. COOL requirements for beef and pork muscle cuts were repealed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016. USDA stopped enforcing the COOL requirements in December. The WTO in December said it would allow Canada and Mexico to impose $1.01 billion in annual retaliatory trade tariffs until the U.S. fixes its country of origin labeling requirements for beef and pork.