HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2003
BYRepresentatives Rayburn, Baugher, Sayan and Rasmussen
Revising a provision on meat labeling.
House Committe on Agriculture & Rural Development
Majority Report: Do pass. (10)
Signed by Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Nealey, Ranking Republican Member; Baugher, Chandler, Grant, Jesernig, McLean, H. Myers and Rasmussen.
House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FEBRUARY 28, 1989
House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)
BACKGROUND:
One of the purposes of the Washington Meat Inspection Act is to promote uniformity between state and federal laws and rules regarding the inspection of meat. The act does not limit the authority of any governmental unit to license or inspect meat or carcasses or the distribution facilities and equipment of retail meat distributors.
SUMMARY:
A licensed meat dealer is not prohibited by the Washington Meat Inspection Act from displaying on the label of meat the identity information from the label of the larger unit of the meat from which the meat came. This rule applies if the larger unit of meat was inspected and packaged under federal inspection and the dealer merely trims, cuts, or further grinds the meat into smaller units without adding ingredients or mixing types of meat.
Fiscal Note: Available.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: Dick Ducharme and Ron Garrish, Iowa Beef Products; and Geoff Gibbs, Washington State Food Dealers Association.
House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony For: (1) Retailers can no longer use the designation "chuck" or "round" as the origin of meat that has been ground into ground beef. These designations are from the federal label for the source of the ground meat and would provide consumers with more information concerning the meat. (2) The bill will permit retailers to satisfy consumer demand for more information concerning the meats they buy.
House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.