Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns: Mandatory COOL rules expected at OMB soon

TSCRA Daily News Update, June 13, 2008

Mandatory COOL rules expected at OMB soon

Rules implementing mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for beef, pork, lamb, and goat meat are expected to be forwarded by USDA to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sometime this week.

These rules are due for release in July, with mandatory COOL set for implementation by September 30, 2008.

Compromise language to improve mandatory COOL was worked out during House deliberations of the 2007 farm bill, and was passed as part of the final farm bill.

This language calls for the labeling of these meat products in four separate ways:

1. Product of the United States: Product that is born, raised and processed within the United States and is from animals that have never crossed the U.S. border.

2. Multiple Countries of Origin: Product that might have been born in another country, but is raised and processed in the United States and will carry a label listing all the countries involved.

3. Imported for Immediate Slaughter: This label would include all cattle that are imported into the United States for processing only and would, like those with "Multiple Countries of Origin," carry a label listing all the involved countries.

4. Foreign Country of Origin: This label is for all fresh beef that is imported into the United States and will only list the product s country of origin.

The farm bill compromise language also simplifies record-keeping requirements for producers, by instructing USDA to only require documents that would be used in the "normal conduct of business" to prove origin.

These documents include animal health papers, import or customs documents, and tax documents.

Livestock are also grandfathered as part of the domestic herd if they are in the country as of July 15, 2008.