USDA Regulations                              

USDA Regulations                                                                    

USDA Extends Comment Deadline On COOL Until February 27

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the comment period on the proposed rule for the mandatory country of origin labeling program through February 27.

As required by the 2002 Farm Bill, the proposed rule mandates that many food items, including muscle cuts of beef (including veal), lamb and pork, ground beef, lamb and pork, sold at retail must be labeled to indicate their country of origin.

Processed food items and non-retail sales are exempt.

Beef can only be labeled as a product of the United States if it is “derived exclusively from animals born, raised and slaughtered in the United States, including animals that were born and raised in Alaska or Hawaii and transported for a period not to exceed 60 days through Canada to the United States and slaughtered in the United States.”

Pork and lamb “must be derived exclusively from an animal that was born, raised and slaughtered in the United States.”

The proposed rule also outlines the requirements for labeling products of mixed origin including products produced both in foreign markets and in the United States as well as labeling requirements for blended products.

The USDA estimates that the implementation costs of the mandatory country-of-origin labeling law may reach as high as $3.9 billion. Record-keeping costs alone to producers, processors and retailers will cost as much as $582 million in the first year, according to the USDA submission.

The full text of the proposed rule was published in the Oct. 30 Federal Register.

Comments may be sent via e mail to cool@usda.gov or via regular mail to: Country of Origin Labeling Program, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, 1400 Independence Ave., SW Stop 0249, Washington, D.C. 20250 0249, no later than Feb. 27, 2004. Copies of the proposed rule and additional information can be found at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/COOL.

USDA Regulations                                                                    

USDA Extends Comment Deadline On COOL Until February 27

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the comment period on the proposed rule for the mandatory country of origin labeling program through February 27.

As required by the 2002 Farm Bill, the proposed rule mandates that many food items, including muscle cuts of beef (including veal), lamb and pork, ground beef, lamb and pork, sold at retail must be labeled to indicate their country of origin.

Processed food items and non-retail sales are exempt.

Beef can only be labeled as a product of the United States if it is “derived exclusively from animals born, raised and slaughtered in the United States, including animals that were born and raised in Alaska or Hawaii and transported for a period not to exceed 60 days through Canada to the United States and slaughtered in the United States.”

Pork and lamb “must be derived exclusively from an animal that was born, raised and slaughtered in the United States.”

The proposed rule also outlines the requirements for labeling products of mixed origin including products produced both in foreign markets and in the United States as well as labeling requirements for blended products.

The USDA estimates that the implementation costs of the mandatory country-of-origin labeling law may reach as high as $3.9 billion. Record-keeping costs alone to producers, processors and retailers will cost as much as $582 million in the first year, according to the USDA submission.

The full text of the proposed rule was published in the Oct. 30 Federal Register.

Comments may be sent via e mail to cool@usda.gov or via regular mail to: Country of Origin Labeling Program, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, 1400 Independence Ave., SW Stop 0249, Washington, D.C. 20250 0249, no later than Feb. 27, 2004. Copies of the proposed rule and additional information can be found at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/COOL.