Pasco feedlot sues over labeling

SPOKANE - A federal lawsuit filed by a Pasco feedlot has the Cattle Producers of Washington upset because the feedlot is suing the USDA about changing new country of origin labeling regulations for cattle.

The regulations requires growers and producers to label a good share of imported food products coming into the U.S., said Williard Wolf, a member of the cattle producers group and a Valley Ford, Wash. livestock producer and broker, on Monday.

"The litigation proves premiums are being paid for beef derived from cattle eligible for the Product of U.S.A. label under the mandatory country of origin labeling requirements," he stated.

But following the regulations would result in increased record keeping and operations costs, according to a Sept. 22 complaint filed by Easterday Ranches Inc. in U.S. District Court.

The Columbia Basin Herald was unable to reach Cody Easterday and his attorney Michael B. Gillett for comment on Monday.

Easterday told The Associated Press he started seeing a decrease of about $30 per head for Canadian beef after the new regulations took effect in September.

He wants the law rewritten as regulations could deter customers from buying Canadian beef from his feedlot, according to the AP.

He also told the AP foreign food products are "subject to the same food safety laws and the same USDA inspection. It's not a safety program. This is a marketing program only."

Court documents show Easterday Ranches was denied a temporary order against the USDA, which asked the judge to restrain the enforcement of the new labeling rule.

Wolf was critical of the operation because it deals with Canadian cattle, which he said takes business away from the U.S.

But Wolf added he's not a protectionism person and is all for free trade.

The health of the public and livestock has to be part of that agreement, he added.

"We have an inspection program and all of these regulations we meet to keep food safe for the consumer," Wolf noted. "Of course what's happening is, the American consumer is demanding to know where they're food comes from. I'm the same way and I'm a producer of food."

Puget Sound Cooperative Natural Markets Director Trudy Bialic stated in part consumers are demanding country of origin labeling and it "supports independent, family-scale ranches by helping them distinguish their products as grown in the USA."