§1636f Publication of Information on Retail Purchase Prices for Representative Meat Products

Summary

The Secretary must start, no later than 90 days after October 22, 1999, to collect and publish at least monthly (weekly if practical) retail price information for representative food items made from beef, pork, chicken, turkey, veal, or lamb. The published report must show the retail price for each item and the total sales amount for each item in pounds and in dollars. For two years after the first publication, the Secretary must keep publishing the Meat Price Spreads Report the same way it was published before October 22, 1999. To make the reports accurate, the Secretary must get data from one or more sources, using a consistent set of retail transactions that include both prices and sales quantities. The Secretary may get data from retailers or commercial data providers and may use proper statistical sampling. Prices may be adjusted to account for differences in where the product is sold, where it comes from, distribution costs, and other verifiable factors. All data collection must be voluntary, and no one can be fined or forced to provide information.