Where's That Meat From? One Problem with Trade Treaties

Do consumers have a right to know where their food comes from? What if there is a federal law decreeing that they have that right? Not anymore. None of that matters. International trade treaties — nowadays often negotiated in secret — trump United States law aimed at protecting consumers.

What happened on meat labelling was this: In the face of mad cow disease outbreaks in several countries, Congress in 2002 passed a law requiring meat's country of origin to be stated on the package label. The World Trade Organization ruled several times that this was not allowed. So Congress in 2015 repealed the 2002 law. The threat of economic retaliation by Canada and Mexico was a factor. Some, but not all, of the U.S. agriculture industry supported the repeal — especially the companies that export meat.

The incident stands as a lesson in how international trade treaties can overrule U.S. laws aimed at protecting health and the environment.

• "Consumers Won't Know Meat Origin After US Ends Labeling Law," Associated Press, January 4, 2016, by Mary Clare Jalonick.
• "House Votes to Repeal Country-of-Origin Labeling for Meat," Food Safety News, June 11, 2015, by Lydia Zuraw.
• Previous Story: WatchDog of May 20, 2015.