It is a basic right. Consumers in other countries already benefit from labeling. The European Union recently began a new system for the identification and registration of beef and beef products. Member countries have to provide consumers various country of origin information on the label. With these new rules, the European consumer will know more about the beef they are eating than the American consumer.
Food safety is one reason country of origin information is important.
In recent years several well-publicized food borne illness outbreaks have been linked to foreign produce, and some countries use pesticides that are illegal in the United States. In 1997 Mexican strawberries carrying Hepatitis A found their way into the school lunch program in Michigan. The strawberries were also shipped to school lunch program in several other states and children were immunized as a precaution. With access to country of origin information, consumers can seek out or avoid meat and produce from a certain country based on their knowledge of the food production practices in that country, but only if the product is labeled. The WORC groups in Colorado and Montana are supporting Country of Origin Labeling Legislation.