The U.S. Court of Appeals in DC is scheduled to hear arguments today over USDA regulations that require cuts of beef, pork and poultry meat to carry labels saying where the meat was born, raised and slaughtered, says Feedstuffs. It’s the latest hearing for a case that began July 2013. Meatpackers and large-membership livestock groups say the rules are costly and expensive without producing any benefit to the public. The 2008 law made country-of-origin labels mandatory.
The USDA rules also are under challenge by Canada and Mexico at the World Trade Organization. The appeals court initially ruled in favor of USDA but the decision was vacated so all 12 judges could hear the arguments whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the regulations.