FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 18, 2007

Contact:  Sandy Courtnage

The TRUTH about Country-of-Origin Labeling

GREAT FALLS, MT (July 18, 2007) – Montana Farmers Union (MFU) President Alan Merrill issued the following statement today on country-of-origin labeling (COOL). 

“MFU reiterates its strong opposition to any amendments being offered to the 2007 Farm Bill that will weaken country-of-origin labeling (COOL).  The law as passed in the 2002 Farm Bill should not be compromised.

“Problems with imported food for both human and pet consumption reported in the news recently point to the critical need for country-of-origin labeling.  Only one percent of imported food is inspected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and less than 10 percent of imported meat and poultry is inspected by the USDA leaving consumers wary and worried about navigating a global food system.

“Currently, imported meat products receive the USDA grade stamp and inspection sticker, which retailers promote.  Without full disclosure, consumers assume it is a U.S. product when it isn’t.

“Allowing Canadian feeder pigs or Mexican feeder cattle to qualify as a “U.S. product” is a continued deception of consumers.  Live animals imported as feeder animals from Canada and Mexico can have a label that says “Product of Canada and U.S.” or “Product of Mexico and U.S.” – it just could not receive a “Product of USA” label.

“Further, it is wrong to suggest that consumers do not want or deserve COOL information.  Just last week Consumer Reports published survey results that found 92 percent of U.S. consumers want COOL.

“While there are some who do not want COOL under any circumstances and who say it is unworkable, it is important to remember the current statute has been implemented on wild-caught and farm-raised seafood for more than two years and is working.  The same can be done for the other covered commodities.

“Montana Farmers Union urges the U.S. Agriculture Committee to keep mandatory COOL as it reads in the 2002 Farm Bill and resist any attempts to weaken it.  America’s producers and consumers want and deserve the information.”

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