Published: October 07, 2008 05:01 pm            

Cover story: Ready or not, here comes COOL

Originally published in the Oct. 3, 2008, print edition.

On Sept. 30, country of origin labeling went into effect for pork, beef, lamb, fish, perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts.

What this will mean for Minnesota producers, and how it will affect the retail sales of those commodities, is yet to be seen. What is certain, however, is the widespread doubt about whether COOL is actually good for U.S. producers.

David Preisler, executive director of the Minnesota Pork Board, said he is not in favor of COOL, but calls the latest regulations an “improvement from what they were before.” He said the standards are now less complicated, and “by using the affidavit route it should be less painful than thought of at first.” Affidavits will show a producer’s animal is indeed a product of the United States and provides the necessary documentation to account for that.

Preisler said it is “too early to tell” how the implementation will go. He calls the first six months of the implementation the education time; after that the government will start enforcing the regulations.

How will COOL change pork production in Minnesota?

Preisler said the answer “depends on what packer they market their pigs to.” Some packers may not want to accept Canadian pigs, or not accept them at the same time as U.S. pigs, to avoid having the two groups intermingle.

Preisler said COOL will not benefit the U.S. producer; he would have rather seen the marketplace dictate the necessity of labeling, rather than have the government mandate it.

The biggest questions Preisler keeps hearing from Minnesota producers is what packers will accept their animals, on what days and with what restrictions. The new rules translate into new protocol for many packing plants, and trying to understand it all and what it could mean to the producer is all part of this new challenge.

Preisler encouraged producers to visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture website, as well as maintain “active communication with (their) packer.”

Pork producers aren’t the only ones dealing with COOL. Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association president Tom Pyfferoen said he still has questions about it.

One of those questions is: why does the meat only have to be labeled if it goes to the retailer? He also questioned whether consumers will seek out U.S.-labeled products or go for the most budget-friendly products, regardless of their origin.

Regarding how beef products like hamburger will be labeled, Pyfferoen said that in some cases the product could be sourced from many countries, with no simple answer to the product’s origin. Pyfferoen also expressed concern about how the affidavit program will work: “How will the cow-calf guy prove the calf was born in the U.S.?”

Pyfferoen’s said that COOL gives producers more work to do without any reimbursement for the extra time needed to track their livestock. He recommended that producers speak with their packer to find out what information is needed from them and sign the affidavits to ensure the information is accurate.

“People will get used to the system,” suggested Pyfferoen, who said he’s “interested in hearing what the retailers have to say” about COOL’s implementation. He also would like to know how the retailers are going to minimize the risk of mislabeling the meat.

With implementation still in its infancy, there seem to be more concerns and questions than answers. Time will tell how COOL will affect everyone in the food chain — from producer to packer to retailer, and ultimately to the consumer.

For more information, contact USDA Agricultural Marketing Service chief Martin O’Connor at cool@usda.gov or http://ams.usda.gov/cool.

        

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