By: Shelby Stauffer

The Labeling law that requires all retailers, supermarkets and grocery stores to notify customers on the origin of certain foods using a detailed labeling system on the packages. Some labeled food examples would be….

Beef Veal Pork Chicken Wild and Farm raised Fish Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables Finally, peanuts and Pecans

All retailers, grocery stores and supermarkets must be licensed to sell perishable goods, their records must be current one year to the day of inspection. All processors must pass inspection for sanitary and health reasons. Self Verification is considered unlawful, all commodities must be inspected by a government official.

Law provides a 30 day period where retailers can correct there labeling system. Law will be enforced by judicial hearings and court decisions Retailer could be fined $1,000 for each violation

Labeling Fish and Shellfish became mandatory in 2005 Final rule on all covered commodities became effective in 2009

Any perishable food item that has not undergone a change of state like fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and nuts. After changing state of food or processed food item does not require a labeling system.

Undergoing a process to change the commodities state such as: -cooking-frying -broiling -grilling-baking-roasting Examples of such would be Marinated Chicken or Fish Sticks. Also, vegetables that are cut, diced, added with other vegetables are excluded from Country of Origin Labeling.

1.Benefits consumers by knowing the origin of food. 2.Improved tracing of bacterial outbreaks. 3.Create jobs within the Government sector and labeling system.

For it: The Consumers, want to know the origin of their food. And they are willing to pay more for the information. Government, create more jobs in regulating the system. Over 70% of shoppers like having the labels on their food. Against it: Producers/Packers, they must label every animal where it came from, if it left the U.S if so how long was the livestock out of the U.S. Retailers, they have to make sure all labels are accurate and legible. And, it costs them more money to track and label products

Do people like to see Country of Origin on their produce?

Lewis, Julie. Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling- Final Rule. Julie Lewis, Web November 2010 O’Connor, Martin E. COOL: Final Rule Presentation. Martin E. O’Connor, Feb Web November 2020 VanSickle, John. Country of Origin Labeling: A Legal and Economic Analysis John VanSickle, Web November 2010 Pennison, Avery. Country of Origin Labeling: Just the Facts Avery Pennison, Web November 2010 Mark, Darrell R. Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling. Darrell R. Mark Web November 2010