COOL Basic Provision and Definitions
Legislative and Rulemaking FAQs
What are the basic requirements of COOL? The 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills amended the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin of beef (including veal), lamb, pork, chicken, goat, wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish, perishable agricultural commodities, peanuts, pecans, ginseng, and macadamia nuts. The implementation of mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for all covered commodities except wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish was delayed until September 30, 2008. The law defines the terms “retailer” and “perishable agricultural commodity” as having the meanings given those terms in the…
