COOL becomes hot again

COOL becomes hot again With the increased attention to the quality of imported foods, particularly from China, a coalition of 50 industry groups has stepped up pressure on Congress to hasten implementation of the country-of-origin labeling legislation, commonly referred to as COOL.
   Congress approved the COOL legislation in the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, but delayed its implementation until Sept. 30, 2008. Origin labeling for fish and shellfish started in 2005. However, the delay applied to beef, lamb, pork, perishable commodities and peanuts.
   Meatpacker and retail lobbies pressed Congress for the delay in implementation, citing the hundreds of millions of dollars required in systems to meet the associated recordkeeping and labeling requirements.
   Recent cases of tainted wheat gluten in animal feed and other food products imported to the United States from China have reinvigorated the demand of origin labeling.