Shoppers Get More Information About Food Origins

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American shoppers will be given more information about the source of some of their foods under a new policy that took effect Monday.

It requires labels on most fresh meats -- along with some fruits, vegetables and other foods -- to list the origin of the products, the Associated Press reported.

The policy, enacted last year by Congress as part of a wide-ranging farm bill, was demanded by food safety groups and welcomed by ranchers in the northern United States who compete with Canadian cattle producers.

The new policy was written by the Bush administration. Last month, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked the meat industry to go beyond what was included in the policy and provide even more specific information about where an animal was born, raised and slaughtered, the AP reported.