Last week, attorneys filed documents on behalf of the US Cattlemen’s Association, National Farmers Union (NFU), Consumer Federation of America (CFA), and American Sheep Industry Association with the US District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to intervene in the litigation started by nine plaintiff groups against the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) regulation on Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL).

If granted intervention, the four organizations intend to defend the COOL regulation.

"NFU, with its allies, will continue to support COOL on behalf of US family farmers and ranchers and American consumers," said NFU President Roger Johnson. "We have worked long and hard on this issue and will do so until these arguments are put to rest and the law remains intact once and for all."

According to a recent CFA study, 90 per cent of a representative sample of 1,000 adult Americans favored, either strongly or somewhat, requiring food sellers to indicate on the package label the country of origin of fresh meat they sell.

Additionally, 87 per cent of adults favoured, either strongly or somewhat, requiring food sellers to indicate on the package label the country or countries in which animals were born, raised and processed.

The poll also found that 90 per cent of adults favored, either strongly or somewhat, requiring food sellers to indicate on the package label the country or countries in which animals were born and raised and the fact that the meat was processed in the United States.

"There is no denying that US consumers want to know where their food comes from," said Mr Johnson. 'That is why it is great to have a united front of consumers and producers in this alliance in support of COOL."

The Court has scheduled a hearing on the preliminary injunction motion for 27 August.