Tom Vilsack issued the final COOL (Country of Origin Labeling) rule today. (Hat tip to Naomi Starkman and Obama Foodorama) For background on this issue:
January: Bush USDA's Lousy COOL Rule
Tuesday: Vilsack Calls for Stricter Voluntary Rules
Thursday: Vilsack Cancels COOL Press Conference
In the USDA press release, Vilsack said that the Bush USDA's rule will go into effect as is (i.e. with loopholes you could drive a truck through) on March 16 as scheduled. Additionally, he released a letter (PDF), nicely asking industry to pretty please pretend the loopholes weren't there and instead voluntarily observe stricter rules.
His specific requests:
Labeling of product from multiple countries of origin
In order to provide consumers with sufficient information about the origin of products, processors should voluntarily include information about what production step occurred in each country when multiple countries appear on the label. For example, animals born and riased in Country X and slaughtered in Country Y might be labeled as "Born and Raised in Country X and Slaughter in Country Y." Animals born in Country X but Raised and Slaughtered in Country Y might be labeled as "Born in Country X and Raised and Slaughtered in Country Y."
Processed Foods
The definition of processed foods contained in the Final Rule may be too broadly drafted. Even if products are subject to curing, smoking, broiling, grilling, or steaming, voluntary labeling would be appropriate.
Inventory Allowance
The language of the Final Rule allows a label for ground meat product to bear the name of a country, even if product from that country was not present in the processor's inventory, for up to 60 days. This provision allows for labels to be used in a way that does not clearly indicate the product's country of origin. Reducing the time allowance to ten days would limit the amount of product with these labels and would enhance credibility of the label.
This does nothing to address the fact that all meat sold at butcher shops or fish markets are exempt from COOL, or the fact that a bag of frozen mixed vegetables is considered "processed" (so is fruit salad) because a few different foods are mixed together. If companies comply with Vilsack's voluntary requests, a lot of other things ARE accounted for - but what are the chances that everyone voluntarily complies?
I hope this is not a hint of what's to come from the Obama administration, because COOL was an issue Obama included in his platform during his campaign and once in office. If this weak treatment of COOL is how his administration handles issues they are clearly and vocally FOR, what happens on all the rest of his campaign promises or all of the things we ask for that he hasn't come out in favor of??
By the way - Byron Dorgan and 6 other Senators wrote Vilsack a letter asking him to close the loopholes. I doubt Dorgan and his fellow Senate Democrats meant that the loophole fix should be voluntary. |
