No meat in Meat Institute’s claims

A Montana Farmers Union column disputes a Meat Institute-commissioned study claiming that restoring mandatory country-of-origin labeling (MCOOL) would cost over $1 billion annually, arguing the estimate lacks supporting evidence. The author, a cattle producer, notes less than 10% of U.S. beef comes from imported live animals, nearly all bearing existing Canadian or Mexican brands and accompanying health papers that already make origin identification straightforward.

The piece disputes the industry's framing that MCOOL triggered WTO retaliatory tariffs, noting none were ever actually imposed; instead, Canada and Mexico filed a WTO complaint that led Congress to repeal COOL for beef and pork in 2015, while it remains in place for other meats. The author says U.S. live cattle prices fell 50% after that repeal while retail beef prices barely moved, benefiting the four largest meatpackers.

The column argues packers want cheaper imported trimmings from Brazil and Mexico mixed into domestic beef and sold at U.S. prices without disclosure, when 20-30% of U.S. cull cows and bulls already supply comparable lean beef domestically. The author, Montana Farmers Union president Walter Schweitzer, urges the Senate to add MCOOL to the pending Farm Bill.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.