Country of Origin Labelling is on the political agenda again.
Mike Cooney, who is running for governor of Montana, is campaigning for Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for meat products made in the state in an effort to gain support from farmers.
He is following in the steps of Montana Senator Jon Tester who tried to get both his Democratic colleagues and Republicans on Capital Hill to o support COOL for beef products.
Those measures were repealed in 2015 after the World Trade Organization authorized Canada and Mexico to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. products because COOL discriminated against their cattle and beef.
The United States Department of Agriculture is also trying to revive COOL, but ran into a snag in New Mexico where a federal judge dismissed two cases filed by Tyson Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., JBS USA and National Beef Packing Co.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), however, currently is accepting public comments on its own “Made in USA Labeling Rule,” which tightens foreign beef products receiving “Product of USA” labels after minor processing by U.S. companies.
