01/13/05 COOL again

COOL Again It's cold most places in the nation right now, so a little COOL talk could help to warm things up. I'm Jeff Keane. I'll be right back to explain. It seems whenever the subject of mandatory Country of Origin Labeling verses voluntary COOL implementation is discussed temperatures of the two opposing groups always rise just a little. When Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services, gave his resignation speech voicing his concerns about terrorist threats to our food supply, the Organization of Competitive Markets felt this point was just another reason for mandatory COOL implementation. My first thought was why give any ideas to terrorists, but there is probably nothing sinister they have not considered already. OCM's president, Keith Mudd says the first line of defense for American consumers is to be able to choose domestically grown and processed food products. He notes "American farmers and ranchers grow the safest and most secure food products in the world, which are subjected to a rigorous inspection process from gate to plate." Projected food imports from the European Union, Canada, Mexico and the Middle East will be more than U.S. exports next year for the first time in decades. Even though the federal government has increased imports inspections, 98% of food imports are not inspected as they enter the country. I have to agree with the Organization of Competitive Markets' position that the American consumer must be provided labeling information to make informed purchasing decisions. I'm Jeff Keane. Western Livestock Reporter 12/22/04