Aug. 4 – US: Country of Origin Food Labels to Cost Industry $2.5 Billion

From McClatchy Washington:

American companies will spend $2.5 billion next year complying with new country-of-origin food label rules, the Agriculture Department now estimates…

The department published its cost estimates Friday in a 45-page assessment in the Federal Register, the official document for federal rule-making. They’re markedly lower than the department previously had estimated.

The new label requirements will kick in Sept. 30, after years of political wrangling. They’ll cover beef, chicken, fresh produce, and frozen fruits and vegetables, among other products.

The assessment in the Federal Register is available here.