Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
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UPDATES
COOL UPDATE
The Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) ruling, under hot debate for many years, is finally in effect, as of March 16, 2009. This rule covers muscle cuts and ground beef, lamb, chicken, goat and pork; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; perishable agricultural commodities (specifically fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables); macadamia nuts; pecans; ginseng and peanuts. Having origin information on these products will add another layer to consumer package-reading skills and may be a factor that influences purchasing decisions.
It will probably not come as a surprise to consumers to discover that popular fresh and dried tropical fruits, like pineapple, coconut, mango and papaya are imported from Thailand and the Philippines. Turkey has become well known for dried apricots and hazelnuts and Australia for macadamia nuts. However, consumers may find some unexpected countries of origins in the frozen food section. Yes, Brussels sprouts often come from Belgium and French green beans from France, but you may also find frozen spinach and edamame imported from China, cauliflower and okra from Guatemala, corn and beans from Canada, and broccoli from Mexico. It could be more difficult, or impossible, to determine where your bag of frozen mixed vegetables originated. Any mixed food (like bagged salad with shredded carrots) and all processed foods (even as simple as roasted peanuts) are completely exempt from COOL. Even more confounding is that foods grown on U.S. soil but packaged and prepared in another country can still claim the U.S. as its country of origin.
While COOL is a step in the right direction, it is still a long haul until a food's entire chain of production is included on the label. For more information, visit the USDA website at http://www.ams.usda.gov/COOL.
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