Court Order Delays Some Aspects of California Prop. 12

A Sacramento California Superior Court issued an order delaying the enforcement of Proposition 12 relating to whole pork meat for six months, setting the new compliance date as December 31^st.  Prior to the extension, non-compliant pork would have been ineligible for sale in California starting July 1^st.  The National Pork Producers Council issued a statement in reaction to the order stating: “It is welcome news to America’s pig farmers and consumers that California recognized the challenging situation the July 1 Proposition 12 implementation date will have on our industry and food supply. Granting six months of additional relief for products in the supply chain allows grocery stores to remain stocked so the 40 million Californians have uninterrupted access to affordable, safe and nutritious pork products, especially with rising food prices.”  The statement went on to say that “While this temporary solution does not solve the challenges and uncertainty California Proposition 12 brings to our industry, NPPC looks forward to working with Congress to find a permanent solution to this problem.”  Prop 12 implementation was a topic of discussion at the recent GCCA Cold Chain Policy Forum and GCCA will continue working with members, partners and CDFA as the process moves forward.