country of origin labels

Learn the ins and outs of COOL; buy organic and shop at farmer’s markets.

Looking for labels in all the wrong places: produce is exempt from the FDA’s new food labeling law.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—As of September 30, we have a better idea of where in the world at least some of our food comes from. Some items, mainly produce, unprocessed meats, and some nuts, are now required to carry a country-of-origin label, also known as COOL. While grocery stores and other food retailers have always known where their wares were grown or raised, they’re now required to share that info with you (at least for some food). This is particularly helpful for produce, since only 1% of imported produce is inspected for contamination and pesticide residue. So now you have a better chance of avoiding tainted edibles by deciding whether you trust where the food came from.

THE DETAILS: The law establishing mandatory labeling covers beef, lamb, pork, goat, and chicken meat; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, macadamia nuts and pecans; and ginseng. These regulations were part of the 2008 Farm Bill, which offers clarifications from the 2002 Farm Bill. These are praiseworthy improvements, says Patty Lovera, assistant director of watchdog group Food & Water Watch. “They also set strong standards for which meat can bear a ‘product of the U.S.’ label,” says Lovera. “The animals have to be born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S.”

WHAT IT MEANS: COOL is a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough. One major shortcoming in the new law is the USDA’s exemption of processed foods from COOL regulation. That’s actually very uncool, since they’ve defined “processing” as including steps like cooking, roasting, smoking, and the addition of one other ingredient. That excuses pork products, lots of frozen vegetables, and 95 percent of nuts from labeling requirements. Frozen foods containing two types of vegetables are also excluded from COOL, as are those popular premixed, bagged salads.

But it’s a start. Until the next round of labeling improvements, we suggest taking these steps: