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U.S.
senators attempt to reinstate COOL September
deadlines - good news for the domestic
shrimp industry
Senators Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Tim Johnson
(D-SD) Friday introduced new legislation that
would implement country-of-origin labeling (COOL)
by the original September 30, 2004, deadline.
According to a statement
by Daschle’s
office, the legislation comes as media reports
indicate the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed
the import of processed beef from Canada despite
a public pledge from Agriculture Secretary Ann
Ceneman to ban the import of Canadian beef products.
“I am extraordinarily concerned by the
news that American consumers have been unknowingly
exposed to Canadian beef products,” Daschle
said. “Today’s news only underscores
the need for mandatory country-of-origin labeling
to ensure American consumers know where their
food comes from,” said Senator Daschle. “We
simply must not allow large meatpackers to block
consumer access to this basic information.”
In 2002, the President signed
into law the farm bill that required USDA to
implement country-of-origin
labeling by September 2004. Unfortunately, at
the urging of the large meatpackers, language
was inserted in last year’s omnibus appropriations
bill delaying implementation of COOL for two
years – until September 2006.
“I am particularly disturbed by reports
that the opponents of COOL are further undermining
mandatory labeling by suggesting that we should
let the large meatpackers label voluntarily,” Daschle
added. “This is nothing but a ploy. Large
meatpackers have refused to label voluntarily
for years, and it is critical that we implement
mandatory labeling to provide consumers the information
they deserve.”
“Consumers and producers overwhelmingly
support country-of-origin labeling for meat,” said
Johnson, the author of the COOL provision passed
in the 2002 farm bill. We need to get on the
side of American producers and consumers and
out of the pocket of the big meatpackers.”
Companies have had the ability to voluntarily
label by petitioning USDA for permission to include
country-of-origin information on their products
since the mid-1990s. In addition, the farm bill
provision that made COOL the law of the land
allows companies to label voluntarily until the
mandatory labeling is implemented.
Over 170 groups representing over 50 million
Americans support mandatory food labeling. The
Senate has also expressed its support for mandatory
COOL. A Daschle amendment offered last November
that called for timely implementation of COOL
was approved by a vote of 58 to 36.
“Delaying the implementation of country-of-origin
labeling is simply unacceptable, and I have invoked
a special rule that will place the bill directly
on the Senate calendar. I urge the majority leader
to call up the bill in the very near future.
We need to pass our bill to reinstate the implementation
date for COOL as soon as possible,” said
Daschle.
Senate Press Release
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