WASHINGTON, DC — September 30, 2004 — “The interim final rule on mandatory country of origin labeling for seafood is to become effective six months after publication in the Federal Register, which will take place on October 5, 2004,” said Tim Hammonds, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued the regulations today.
     

“Although we are grateful that USDA has taken a number of our industry’s suggestions and simplified the final rule in significant respects, the rule still runs over 200 pages as issued, emphasizing the flaws in the underlying law — excessive paperwork and other bureaucratic measures that do not benefit consumers and only inflate the cost of healthy, popular seafood products.
     

“We appreciate USDA delaying the effective date for this program for six months,” said Hammonds. “But we have not addressed the lack of need for a mandatory country-of-origin labeling program of any kind. In fact, retailers and wholesalers are prepared to institute a voluntary labeling and marketing program that would benefit consumers and producers at a fraction of the cost. We still remain hopeful that Congress will enact legislation to replace this law with a voluntary program that would inform consumers but not place domestic suppliers at a cost disadvantage to their foreign competitors.”