Country of Origin Food Labeling Overview
Current U.S. Laws and Regulations
Since the 1930s, U.S. tariff law has required almost all imports to carry labels so that the “ultimate purchaser,” usually the retail consumer, can determine their country of origin. However, certain products, including a number of agricultural commodities in their “natural” state such as meats, fruits, and vegetables, were excluded. For almost as many decades, various farm and consumer groups have pressed Congress to end one or more of these exceptions, arguing that U.S. consumers have a right to know where all of their food comes from and that, given a choice, they would purchase the domestic version. This would…
