Should the United States' Food Origin Law be Revived?
by www.SixWise.com
In 2002, a Farm Bill was passed that, among other things,
required beef, lamb, pork, fish, fruit
and peanuts to list where they came from on the label. This
country-of-origin labeling, known widely as COOL, was in place
for only about a year when it was postponed until September
30, 2008 (except in relation to fish and shellfish, which
has been labeled since 2005).
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Country-of-origin labeling, which has been on hold
since 2002, is still set to become mandatory on September
30, 2008.
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The law was postponed, as it turns out, because of extensive
lobbying from food groups -- meatpackers, grocers and others
-- who said COOL, which would require food producers to maintain
records on their products for a year, would be exorbitantly
expensive.
Now, amid fears of tainted pet food, seafood and, now, toothpaste,
from China, many consumer groups are calling for COOL to be
reinstated immediately.
Why is COOL so Controversial?
While U.S. farm groups and consumer groups support COOL because
it gives the public knowledge about where their food is coming
from (and U.S. food growers are happy to advertise that theirs
comes from native soil), many processed food producers and
large food groups, including the Food Marketing Institute,
oppose it.
According to the opposition, COOL would not make food safer,
it would simply serve as a marketing tool (benefiting U.S.-grown
foods), and impeding international trade. Meanwhile, they
say the costs incurred by seafood manufacturers who implemented
COOL were much higher than USDA estimates.
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Want to know where your food comes from now? Buy it
from local farmer's markets or community-supported agriculture
programs.
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The USDA put first-year costs of COOL to retail stores at
$1,530 per store, but a study by the Food Marketing Institute
found it was closer to $9,000 to $16,000 per store.
Will Americans Find Out Where Their Food Comes From?
As it stands, opposition is still strong against COOL, but
Congress has been under intense pressure to clean
up America's food supply after the recent scares.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has opened a 60-day comment
period on COOL rules, and it looks like the law is set to
take effect on its scheduled date of September 30, 2008.
''Mandatory labeling of fruits, vegetables and meats will
be implemented,'' said Collin Peterson, chairman of the House
Agriculture Committee. ''It is going to happen.''
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One Too?
Sources
Chicago
Tribune June 10, 2007
FarmNews-Iowa.com
USDA.gov:
Country of Origin Labeling