BUSINESS

U.S. consumers won't know meat origins after labeling law repealed

Mary Clare Jalonick The Associated Press
Published Sunday, January 3, 2016 11:20AM EST

In this Nov. 2, 2013 file photo, various cuts of beef and port are displayed for sale in the meat department at a discount market in Arlington, Va. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

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WASHINGTON -- It's now harder in the U.S. to find out where your beef or pork was born, raised and slaughtered.

Congress repealed a labeling law last month that required retailers to include the animal's country of origin on packages of red meat. It's a major victory for the meat industry, which has fought the law in Congress and the courts since the early 2000s.

Lawmakers say they had no choice but to get rid of the labels after repeated rulings from the World Trade Organization. The WTO recently authorized Canada and Mexico to begin more than $1 billion in economic retaliation against the United States.

Consumer groups say the repeal is a disappointment just as consumers are asking for more information on their food packages.