INDUSTRY INFORMATION

COOL industry news

Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) became mandatory on all unprocessed meats sold in the United States on September 30, 2008. Origin labels were previously required on certain seafood items and are now also required for beef, lamb, pork, fish, shellfish, chicken, goat, agricultural commodities (frozen fruits and vegetables), ginseng, pecans, macadamia nuts, and peanuts. COOL was originally slated to begin in 2005 but was delayed until this year. The final rule went into effect March 16, 2009. For more information go to http://countryoforiginlabel.org/.