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USDA reloads on COOL
Story Date: 2/13/2013
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Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 2/12/13
USDA has submitted to the Office of Budget Management a new draft of country-of-origin labeling regulations in order to comply with international trade law, a spokesman confirmed to Meatingplace.
The move comes after the World Trade Organization ruled last summer that the existing COOL law violated international trade law because COOL gives less favorable treatment to imported cattle and hogs, and that it does not fulfill its objective of providing consumers with information on origin.
“While we cannot discuss the specifics of that draft rule, we can say that the draft rule proposes to modify the COOL labeling provisions for muscle cut meats including beef (including veal), lamb (including mutton), pork, goat, and chicken,” Sam Jones-Ellard, spokesman for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, said in an emailed statement. “All interested parties will have an opportunity to comment on any proposed regulatory action. We can assure you that any proposed changes to the COOL regulations will be consistent with our commitment to ensure that consumers are provided with accurate origin information as Congress intended.”
The WTO have Washington a deadline of May 23 to comply.
The National Farmers Union and other groups, meanwhile, are looking to help. In an analysis, the groups said USDA needn’t make wholesale changes to the legislation, rather strengthen it by offering clearer and more accurate information to consumers.
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