Apperently, a law was passed in 2002 that made labeling the country of origin mandatory on all produce, seafood, meat, and nuts. As you can tell by a quick trip to the supermarket though, it obviously has not taken affect. Seafood is the only food that has begun to show countries of origin on the label. The meatpacking industry is particularly against the law claiming that it is a hassle to have to track which meat is imported and which is not. Some meats, such as hamburger, are made from different animals meaning that part of a hamburger patty could be imported while the rest is not. Meat industry executives also say that U.S. meat will lose its good reputation when people realize it’s not really U.S. meat.
It’s about time this law is enforced for a few reaons; (1) consumers deserve to know the truth about their food, (2) I love watching the meat industry flounder and wail and, (3) more people will buy local. Importing meat, produce, and nuts is unbelievably resource-intensive, so being educated on its origin is important to increasing sustainability.
