II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 242

To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require the labeling of imported

meat and meat food products.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 19, 1999

Mr. JOHNSON (for himself and Mr. ENZI) introduced the following bill; which

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,

and Forestry

A BILL

To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require the

labeling of imported meat and meat food products.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Meat Labeling Act of

5 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. LABELING OF IMPORTED MEAT AND MEAT FOOD

7 PRODUCTS.

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1 of the Federal Meat In9 spection Act (21 U.S.C. 601) is amended by adding at

10 the end the following:
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1 ‘‘(w) BEEF.—The term ‘beef’ means meat pro2 duced from cattle (including veal).

3 ‘‘(x) IMPORTED BEEF.—The term ‘imported

4 beef’ means beef that is not United States beef,

5 whether or not the beef is graded with a quality

6 grade issued by the Secretary.

7 ‘‘(y) IMPORTED LAMB.—The term ‘imported

8 lamb’ means lamb that is not United States lamb,

9 whether or not the lamb is graded with a quality

10 grade issued by the Secretary.

11 ‘‘(z) IMPORTED PORK.—The term ‘imported

12 pork’ means pork that is not United States pork.

13 ‘‘(aa) LAMB.—The term ‘lamb’ means meat,

14 other than mutton, produced from sheep.

15 ‘‘(bb) PORK.—The term ‘pork’ means meat pro16 duced from hogs.

17 ‘‘(cc) UNITED STATES BEEF.—

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘United

19 States beef’ means beef produced from cattle

20 slaughtered in the United States.

21 ‘‘(2) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘United

22 States beef’ does not include beef produced

23 from cattle imported into the United States in

24 sealed trucks for slaughter.

25 ‘‘(dd) UNITED STATES LAMB.—
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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘United

2 States lamb’ means lamb produced from sheep

3 slaughtered in the United States.

4 ‘‘(2) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘United

5 States lamb’ does not include lamb produced

6 from sheep imported into the United States in

7 sealed trucks for slaughter.

8 ‘‘(ee) UNITED STATES PORK.—

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘United

10 States pork’ means pork produced from hogs

11 slaughtered in the United States.

12 ‘‘(2) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘United

13 States pork’ does not include pork produced

14 from hogs imported into the United States in

15 sealed trucks for slaughter.’’.

16 (b) MISBRANDING.—Section 1(n) of the Federal

17 Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601(n)) is amended—

18 (1) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the

19 end;

20 (2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at

21 the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and

22 (3) by adding at the end the following:

23 ‘‘(13)(A) if it is imported beef, imported lamb,

24 or imported pork offered for retail sale as muscle
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1 cuts of beef, lamb, or pork and does not bear a label

2 that identifies its country of origin;

3 ‘‘(B) if it is United States beef, United States

4 lamb, or United States pork offered for retail sale as

5 muscle cuts of beef, lamb, or pork, and does not

6 bear a label that identifies its country of origin; or

7 ‘‘(C) if it is United States or imported ground

8 beef, ground lamb, or ground pork and is not accom9 panied by labeling that identifies it as United States

10 beef, United States lamb, United States pork, im11 ported beef, imported lamb, imported pork, or other

12 designation that identifies the content of United

13 States beef, imported beef, United States lamb, im14 ported lamb, United States pork, and imported pork

15 contained in the product, as determined by the Sec16 retary.’’.

17 (c) LABELING.—Section 7 of the Federal Meat In18 spection Act (21 U.S.C. 607) is amended by adding at

19 the end the following:

20 ‘‘(g) MANDATORY LABELING.—The Secretary shall

21 provide by regulation that the following offered for retail

22 sale bear a label that identifies its country of origin:

23 ‘‘(1) Muscle cuts of United States beef, United

24 States lamb, United States pork, imported beef, im25 ported lamb, and imported pork.
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1 ‘‘(2) Ground beef, ground lamb, and ground

2 pork.

3 ‘‘(h) AUDIT VERIFICATION SYSTEM FOR UNITED

4 STATES AND IMPORTED MUSCLE CUTS OF BEEF, LAMB,

5 AND PORK AND GROUND BEEF, LAMB, AND PORK.—The

6 Secretary may require by regulation that any person that

7 prepares, stores, handles, or distributes muscle cuts of

8 United States beef, imported beef, United States lamb,

9 imported lamb, United States pork, imported pork, ground

10 beef, ground lamb, or ground pork for retail sale maintain

11 a verifiable recordkeeping audit trail that will permit the

12 Secretary to ensure compliance with the regulations pro13 mulgated under subsection (g).’’.

14 (d) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 1 year after the

15 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture

16 shall promulgate final regulations to carry out the amend17 ments made by this section.

18 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

19 this section take effect 60 days after the date on which

20 final regulations are promulgated under subsection (d).

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