Secretary Vilsack on COOL

Yesterday I reported that Tyson Foods has stopped purchasing Canadian cattle to be shipped directly to their processing plants citing that the Country of Origin Labeling or COOL would cause higher expenses for their company.

I spoke with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack about Country of Origin Labeling and what the business decisions of food processors might mean in the future. He says that individual businesses will determine what is best for their company but as for the USDA

Vilsack: "Frankly at USDA we are under a obligation and a Congressional directive and mandate to essentially create a labeling program. We got instructions from the WTO that our labeling program was authorized that we could label but they suggested that it needed to be a bit more specific and a bit more accurate in terms of processing and slaughter and raising and that is what we tried to do. We think we have complied to the WTO instructions and directive and we think we have complied with the Congressional mandate. If folks don't like the mandate or the idea of labeling or they want a label that is much more generic then obviously what they ought be doing is going to Congress to change the directive to us. But as long as the Congress continues to direct to do what we are doing -- and we believe we have complied with the WTO responsibilities we will continue along those lines."