Labelling to corn fed cattle which influences right to health : freedom of choice for consumers

Abstract

Modern food production performed intensive way to extract maximum outcome. Especially, meat production is combined with cultivation of feed crops thus its destructive influence is not just limited to animal welfare. Although there are many sectors, which ruin health and environment, this paper focused on the corn-feeding system in the meat production. Fattening herbivore livestock with intensive grain deteriorates environment, animal welfare and human health. Indeed, modern meat production is fragile to defense epidemic disease. Mad cow disease and hormone fed cattle are the case outbreak recently in the modern meat production. Meat production is not safe from the GMOs controversial since it can be used for animal feed. European Union and WTO have considered food safety problem which increasingly controversial. Newly introduced technology make future unpredictable thus decision making process became maze. Above all, introducing restriction measurement became carrying thin ice since it could be a breach of free-trade rule. Therefore, balanced perception between food safety and free trade can be found by case study concerning meat product in EU and WTO. Although the government can make regulation in the meat production, without consumer’s action, new regulation is hard to achieve. Therefore, corn-fed labelling can empower the consumer as a citizen who has a stake of health and ethical concern. Thus, this paper would search feasible labelling scheme to protect consumer’s right.