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Country Of Origin Labeling (COOL) is a requirement signed into American law under Title X of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (known as the 2002 Farm Bill). This law requires retailers to provide country-of-origin labeling for fresh beef, pork, and lamb. The program exempts processed meats. The United States Congress passed an expansion of the COOL requirements on 29 September 2008, to include more food items such as fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables.
Be careful with this law. As with any law there are exclusions and the inevitable fine print. It was further expanded in March or May, 2009. It's very convoluted.
COOL also allows meat that is grown in the US to be processed outside of the US and still maintain the Product of the USA (or Country of Origin:USA) designation, if that food is altered "minimally" (additives such as additional meats, salt, tomatoes, etc.). I remember reading some concerns farmers' outfits had with this law, because it allows additives over which the farmers have no control.
All local and state regulations were preempted by this act. Buy local if you can ~
I buy a lot of processed specialty items from Europe and Canada because apparently vegetarian things are more common there (). A lot of out-of-season fruit on the west coast comes from Mexico, Central or South America. A lot of it comes from China as well.
^^^ would you refuse everything that is made in Europe too?
I have to admit that I don't. I love European chocolate...., and occasionally buy it. My opposition to buying anything offshore is mainly because of the job loss in North America, because of jobs that have gone offshore.
I've noticed more and more products have stopped listing country of origin. I assume when no country is listed that it is Chinese. I used to buy Rite-Aid brand cimentidine (Tagamet) for my tummy troubles, because it worked and said "Product of Canada" on the box. Just recently the last one I bought had no country listed, so I now think they switched to China. Most of the personal care items we buy are Chinese made, they will only say "Distributed by...".
I do look. I try not to buy produce from Mexico and products from China, if I can help it. Both places scare me with how lax they are with their food rules.
I wish more things were made here. We really need a resurgence of American made items.
I do look. I try not to buy produce from Mexico and products from China, if I can help it. Both places scare me with how lax they are with their food rules.
I wish more things were made here. We really need a resurgence of American made items.
There's no way we could have apples or grapes all year long without importation from other countries. I'd trust foods (produce) from Mexico; their exportation laws to the US are as strict as ours. A lot of those pre-packaged salads that say "Product of US" are Mexican in origin. Unless you have your own garden and only eat things that are in season, using produce from other countries is unavoidable.
I try to avoid vegetables from Mexico, leafy ones anyway. And I buy nothing that comes from China. Fruit( canned, packaged) and mushrooms are big exports from there so check the label.
I buy products imported from Mexico whenever possible, such as hot sauce, canned refried beans, fruit juices, etc. My supermarket offers imported Coca Cola from Mexico, where it is made with sugar, not corn syrup, but it's expensive and I don't buy it, but only because of the price.
I have no fear of imported foods, and do not consider food exports to be a form or organized terrorism.
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). A lot of out-of-season fruit on the west coast comes from Mexico, Central or South America. A lot of it comes from China as well.
, and occasionally buy it. My opposition to buying anything offshore is mainly because of the job loss in North America, because of jobs that have gone offshore.
