NCL statement on House vote on country-of-origin-labeling of meat – National Consumers League
June 11, 2015
Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, is disappointed in the U.S. House of Representatives vote Wednesday to repeal the law that requires country-of-origin labels (COOL) on packages of beef, pork, and poultry. COOL went into effect for meat in 2013.
The following statement may be attributed to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:
“Consumers have the right to know where their food comes from, and they clearly want country-of-origin labeling. Having that label tells consumers about safety and purity of their food. Surveys show that 90 percent of Americans want this labeling on the meat products they buy for their families–showing that the House vote is drastically out of sync with the wishes of their constituents. Trade agreements must not be used to prevent U.S. consumers from getting the information they clearly desire. The American meat industry’s undue influence in this vote goes directly against these interests. This is a step backwards, and NCL is calling on the Senate to protect COOL, a hard-won protection that is valued by American consumers.”
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About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.
