Remaining cool about C.O.O.L.

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Check out your meat case in the near future, and you will probably find some new and additional labels; country-of-origin labeling (or C.O.O.L.) is now becoming a reality. A consumer now will know where meat, along with a host of other ag products, are coming from. This added information for consumers has been a long time in coming but is now part of a mandate set to begin Sept. 30.

The original language for C.O.O.L. was included in the 2002 Farm Bill. The intent of the law was to simply inform consumers where certain ag commodities originated. In the wake of food safety issues in some countries, consumer groups have felt the purchasers of these products had a right to know where their food was coming from. However, those in the food marketing chain saw this as an expensive mandate and a bother they did not need. They felt hamburger “made in Brazil, or Mexico, or Canada, or the USA” all was still just hamburger, and the U.S. consumer would not care. Although C.O.O.L. labels are found in almost all types of consumer goods, ag marketing proponents along with most of the producer groups (including the National Pork Producers) fought to delay the enactment of the C.O.O.L. regulations. They were successful until the writing of the 2008 Farm Bill when Congress amended the rules to include more foods and finalize mandatory C.O.O.L. regulations.

It is ironic that the NPPC (National Pork Producers) fought so hard to keep C.O.O.L. from happening even as they have listened to and supported the consumer on so many other issues; most noticeably producing a leaner, healthier and more nutritious product. Pork “made in the USA” is a great product, but without C.O.O.L., consumers wouldn’t be able to differentiate its value in the meat case. As has happened in so many areas in recent years, the NPPC sided with their packer friends who see this as a cost to them and not as a service to consumers.

So, what are these C.O.O.L. rules and regs? The law requires that retailers notify customers of the country-of-origin of raw beef, pork, chicken, lamb, shellfish and farm-raised fish, fruits and vegetables, and peanuts. Exempt from the law are all processed foods which includes breaded chicken products, ham, bacon, canned fruits and vegetables, and salted peanuts will not need a label. Also exempt are products sold from food service and independent butchers. If products are combined from different countries, a packer may label the product as coming from all those sources on a single label. Tyson Foods plans to label all beef as “Product of US, Canada or Mexico” which seems to go against the spirit of the law. The National Farmers Union is protesting this action, and the USDA is considering the complaint.

The key question about C.O.O.L. is whether consumers will differentiate products from various countries and change their spending habits. With the food safety issues like tainted milk in China and mad cow disease in Canada, the consumer has become more wary of what they buy and eat. Providing consumers more information in the selection of the products they purchase is always a good idea; as they always say in the marketing world “the consumer is always right!”

Bob Elliott is a Bureau County pork producer.