WASHINGTON — Shoppers who want to buy American beef for dinner instead of meat from Canada or Mexico will still be able to find the country of origin on the label.
A federal appeals court ruling Friday allows the government to go forward with rules that require labels on packaged steaks, ribs and other cuts of meat to say where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered. The meat industry attempted to block the rules, which went into effect last year, saying they are costly and provide no health benefits to the consumer.
In court, the meat industry said the rules go beyond what Congress intended and violate First Amendment rights to freedom of speech by forcing meat producers to provide information about their products. That information is of no real value to the consumer, the industry argued.
Judge Stephen F. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia refused to block the labeling rules, agreeing with a lower federal court.
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