USDA chief: COOL goes forward

USDA chief: COOL goes forward Newly appointed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told agricultural product retailers Friday that the country of origin labeling rules, known as COOL, will go into effect as scheduled on March 16.
   'I strongly support country of origin labeling — it's a critical step toward providing consumers with additional information about the origin of their food,' Vilsack said in a statement.
   The rule, published in a Jan. 15 Federal Register notice, has been under review by the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to a Jan. 20 memorandum from the President Obama's chief of staff.

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   The COOL regulation requires country of origin labeling, sold by designated retailers, for:
   ' Muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), pork, lamb, goat and chicken.
   ' Wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish.
   ' Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.
   ' Peanuts.
   ' Pecans.
   ' Macadamia nuts.
   ' Ginseng.
   These commodities must be labeled at retail to indicate the country of origin.
   For more details, including a letter from Vilsack inviting stakeholders to follow additional voluntary labeling practices, access the USDA Web site.