USDA Requirements for Implementing Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling

Abstract

Simply put, mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) requires specified food retailers to inform their customers of the country of origin of covered commodities. The Federal requirements for mandatory COOL stem from the 2002 Farm Bill, which amended the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to add COOL provisions. Among other requirements, the 2002 Farm Bill directed USDA to issue guidelines for voluntary COOL by Sept. 30, 2002. During the time that they were available, no retailers adopted the voluntary guidelines to provide COOL information to their customers. Regulations to implement mandatory COOL were to be promulgated by Sept. 30, 2004, and the requirements were to apply to the retail sale of a covered commodity by that date.