Country of origin labeling
In February 2009, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued the final rule for the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). The COOL regulation requires food manufacturers and grocery stores to comply with country of origin labeling for meat, fish, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, and some varieties of nuts.
Vilsack simultaneously issued an “open letter” to the food industry encouraging voluntary adoption of additional labeling descriptors identifying where animals were born, raised and slaughtered and more restrictive inventory practices relating to the origin of ground product. He also called for expanding country of origin labels to certain categories of processed products exempted under the rule.
Country of origin labels tell consumers whether their food came from animals raised in the U.S. or another country. The law also covers many perishable items, such as whole fresh fruits and vegetables, and some nuts.
While the new COOL rules are a significant improvement over previous labeling requirements, critics, including PCC, want several loopholes closed. The definition of “processed” foods exempts many products, including mixed salad greens, cured meat products, and roasted nuts.
All of PCC's meat is raised in the Western United States.
PCC also has supported COOL legislation for years (see our public policy statements here and here and voluntarily complied with COOL standards long before it was mandatory.