FDA Rule Goes Global: How Cool Is That?
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Call it the United Nations of foodstuff. A U.S. Department of Agriculture regulation that became final last week requires country-of-origin labeling (known as COOL) on many fresh foods, including cuts of meat, poultry, lamb and pork, fruits and vegetables, and some nuts. (Labeling of fish and shellfish began two years ago, and packaged food has long required labeling.)
Knowing the country of origin is helpful in the event of a contamination outbreak or recall, says Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. If an outbreak in, say, tomatoes from Chile is announced, the labels can help consumers choose tomatoes from another country.
Not all foods you might think of as fresh must be labeled; for example, fruit salad is considered processed -- as are frozen mixed vegetables -- and thus not subject to the labeling rules. But Vilsack has said that if manufacturers don't voluntarily label such products, he may move to require it. Consumer Reports offers a chart of what is and is not labeled. Go to http:/
Meanwhile, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit advocacy group, is trying to advance an idea that would give specific consumers quick information about items that have been recalled.
Earlier this year, CSPI asked 50 supermarket chains to use information from their loyalty clubs (such as Giant's Bonus Club card) to contact consumers who had purchased a recalled product. CSPI has yet to hear back from any chain, says Sarah Kelley, a staff attorney for the group, but Giant and Costco have used such information to contact consumers about the ongoing recall linked to peanuts contaminated with salmonella.
Kelly says that while "some consumers may think that is an invasion of their privacy, giving up a bit of privacy in exchange for quick information about a health scare is well worth the trade-off."
-- Francesca Lunzer Kritz
