COOL Revisions

A revision to the USDA’s Country of Origin Labeling program was published in the Federal Register last Tuesday. Since then the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has spoken up to say that the new proposed rule will create more problems for their industry, and in a classic trickle down effect, increase costs for processors, retailers and consumers. However, the United Stockgrowers of America, US Cattlemen’s Association and Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund all support the new rule, stating that it will bring the US into compliance with the global trade body. The new rule will require that each production step of the animal be printed on the labels of muscle cuts of meat, and will also stop the packaging facility practice of mixing together livestock from multiple countries and labeling the meat from those with the same label. USDA representatives stated that the proposed rule grew out of findings by the World Trade Organization that the current COOL regulations are not up to its standards. COOL’s original author, US Senator Tim Johnson, says he is glad the USDA put forward the proposal so that “Americans can be further informed about the origin of the meat they feed their families.”