A meat wrapper arranges meat in a cooler at a Seattle store in this file photo. New rules being fought by industry groups require labels for steaks, ribs and other cuts of meat to detail where animals grown for meat were born, raised and slaughtered.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Requiring meat labels to have more details about a product’s origins is too costly and serves no public health or safety benefit, industry groups said Tuesday in announcing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture over new labeling rules.

The rules went into effect in May and require labels for steaks, ribs and other cuts of meat to detail where animals grown for meat were born, raised and slaughtered. Previously, labels only required that countries of origin be noted, so a package might say, “Product of U.S. and Canada.” Now, the labels must specify “Born in Canada, raised and slaughtered in the United States.”

In addition, the USDA is prohibiting processors from mixing meat from animals born, raised or slaughtered in Mexico, Canada or other countries with meat from the U.S. Read more.

How carefully do you read food labels?

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