Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)
Mark Whitney on 14 Jan 2008
On May 13th, 2002, then-President Bush signed into law the 2002 Farm Bill that included a new requirement for country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable ag commodities and peanuts. Originally slated to be in effect by the end of September 2004, enacting of the COOL law has twice been delayed (with the exception of farm-raised and wild fish and shellfish) but is now due to be carried out beginning midnight September 30th of 2008. Unlike the last two rounds, initial indications are that COOL will not be delayed, and instead will become a reality come next fall. Up until this point, voluntary guidelines have been in effect, with participation not required for livestock, packing or retailing industries.
The COOL issue has been the topic of much debate. Concerns over foreign animal diseases, including avian flu, BSE, and a variety of food safety issues with food products imported from China have really pushed the COOL issue into the spotlight. Proponents argue that COOL is necessary to enhance the security of our nation's food supply, and is needed to allow consumers to choose U.S. products if they so choose. Detractors feel that requiring COOL will greatly increase costs throughout the food chain and will ultimately weaken U.S. meat production and sales due to increased verification and paperwork requirements.
Regardless of whether livestock producers are for or against COOL, they should begin making preparations for its implementation this upcoming fall. Individuals should begin communicating with their packers to determine if the packers will have any requirements or if their will be any contract ramifications. In the case of imported products, the food label will have to indicate where it started, was grown/raised and processed. For example, a meat label for pork might read, "From hogs born in Canada, raised and slaughtered in the United States." Therefore, producers considering purchasing isoweans from Canada need to ensure first and foremost that their packer will be willing to take them once they reach market weight. Even if you are purchasing isoweans or other age/size pigs that are U.S. born, you should begin insisting on records or receipts from the seller of the animals that will then serve as proof of origin. Keep abreast to what is going on at the House and Senate level concerning ratification and/or implementation of COOL, and ensure you are prepared should the proposed law become a reality, which it appears it will.
Mark Whitney
NEWS FLASH
Appropriations Hearings: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture held a hearing on February 13th to review the Fiscal Year 2009 budget for the Department of Agriculture. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner testified.
A top priority for Subcommittee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) is timely implementation of mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL). Schafer and Conner assured her that USDA was focused on implementing COOL on September 30, 2008
Also;Country-of-Origin Labeling. Section 10816 of the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-
171) requires many retailers to provide country-of-origin information on a number
of raw products, including fresh and ground beef, pork, and lamb (produce, seafood,
and peanuts also are covered). USDA was to implement the requirement by
September 30, 2004; until then COOL was voluntary. However, the consolidated
FY2004 omnibus appropriation (P.L. 108-199, H.Rept. 108-401) postpones
mandatory COOL for two years for all covered commodities, except farmed fish and
wild fish, to September 30, 2006. Under the COOL law, meats labeled as U.S. origin
must come from animals that are born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States.
The COOL law prohibits USDA from establishing a mandatory ID system to verify
country of origin, but it does permit USDA to require persons supplying covered
commodities to maintain a "verifiable audit trail" to document compliance. Some
analysts have concluded, therefore, that COOL could spur efforts to trace red meats
back to the processors.
Will M-COOL ever be a reality? :roll: Another example of well spent money by R-CALF. 