Meat Groups File Appeal Against COOL Injunction Denial

A group of American and Canadian meat producers has requested an appeal in the U.S. dispute over country of origin labeling (COOL), after a U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia judge denied a request for injunction against implementation of the rule. The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia accepted the proposed appeal briefing schedule on Sept. 16 that mandates the appellants file a joint brief on Sept. 23. The judge denied the request on the grounds that the meat groups failed to identify a legal provision that prohibits the Agriculture Department from mandating the COOL disclosure information in question, among other reasons (see 13091130). The appellants include the American Meat Institute, the American Association of Meat Processors, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, the Canadian Pork Council, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Pork Producers Council, the North American Mean Association, and the Southwest Meat Association.