Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CANNON FALLS, Minn. — Some of us really don't take a long hard look at the labels of our food as long as it tastes good. And some say it's their right to know.
The USDA has implemented new regulations on meat packaging that will give the consumer more information, including where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered.
Lorentz Meat Factory in Cannon Falls is a is a medium to small operation that serves a niche market slaughtering 3,500-4,500 head of cattle a day.
Vice President Arion Thiboumery said country of origin labels aren't new, but information about where the animal was raised — multiple locations in some cases — and slaughtered will be in addition to those existing labels.
Thiboumery said that the pre-printed labels the company currently works with will no longer work, and they will have to reevaluate their logistics operations.
"You cannot co-mingle product," he said. "Meaning, I can't put some product that was born in Canada (into a package), some that was born in the U.S.A. I can't mix it together and say it was born in the U.S.A. or Canada."
While it provides information to the consumer, some, he said, may not do anything with it.
"It's more information for the consumer for sure," he said. "How many people are going to sit there and evaluate their T-bone steaks to say 'well this one was born in Canada but raised in the U.S. or this one was born in the U.S. but also raised in the U.S.?"
Canada and Mexico, America's top cattle-traders, are already challenging the practice saying it's not compliant with World Trade Organization standards. It will take three to six months to figure out if they're right. If they're wrong, the rule could be reversed.
"Ultimately we'll comply with whatever the rule is and we'll make it happen and that's okay. But the possibility of it continually going back and forth... that's the most frustrating thing," Thiboumery said.
New labels will be showing up gradually in grocery stores. The USDA is allowing meat companies to use up any of the older labels already printed.
