The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) revised and submitted for public comment proposed regulations to implement Proposition 12 (Prop 12). Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, Prop 12 will prohibit the sale of pork from hogs born to sows raised in housing that does not comply with California’s highly prescriptive standards.
These regulations apply to any uncooked pork sold in the state, whether produced in California or outside its borders. At this time, nearly all pork currently produced in the U.S. fails to meet California’s arbitrary standards, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said in Capital Update.
NPPC plans to submit comments on the revised regulations by the conclusion of the 15-day comment period that will take place from Dec. 3 through Dec. 17.
In comments on earlier proposed regulations, NPPC said that the rules would require unworkable annual certification of hog farmers’ compliance with the Prop 12 requirements in addition to creating a complex accreditation process for entities allowed to conduct such certifications. As well, Prop 12 imposes burdensome and unnecessary recordkeeping requirements on farmers, meat packers and others throughout the pork supply chain while imposing unnecessary and problematic labeling requirements for pork.
NPPC has requested that the effective date for Prop 12 be delayed at least two years from the date regulations are finally promulgated.
In addition to the revised regulations being issued, a coalition of animal welfare groups has filed suit in California state court over CDFA’s efforts to implement the law. NPPC, which has brought legal challenges against Prop 12, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up and consider the constitutionality of the measure. California has been ordered by the high court to respond to NPPC’s lawsuit by Dec. 8, NPPC said in the article. A decision from the Supreme Court on whether to accept the case for hearing likely will be made in early January.
Visit the Animal Health and Food Safety Services Regulations webpage to review all documents and for instructions to submit a written comment: Proposition 12, Farm Animal Confinement.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Delay Implementation of Proposition 12, Food Industry Leaders Urge
Judge Denies Proposition 12 Challenge From Iowa Pork Producers
Supreme Court Rejects Meat Institute’s Petition to Review Proposition 12
Federal Court Rejects NPPC’s Petition to Strike Down Proposition 12
Pork Industry Braces for Catastrophic Costs to Implement Proposition 12
Proposition 12 Pressures Aren’t Going Away
On-Demand Webinar: Proposition 12: Where Do We Go From Here?
20 States Back Challenge to the Constitutionality of California’s Prop 12
California’s Proposition 12 Would Cost U.S. Pork Industry Billions
