This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Many retail food stores are now required to inform consumers about the country of origin of fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, ginseng, and ground and muscle cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and goat. Contents of this report: (1) Recent Developments; (2) Background; (3) Other Laws with Labeling Provisions: Tariff Act; Meat and Poultry Products Inspection Acts; Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; (4) Implementation of Farm Bill COOL Requirements; (5) Key Provisions: Record-Keeping, Verification, and Penalties; (6) Economic and Trade Issues: Costs and Benefits; North Amer. Livestock Trade; U.S. Livestock Imports; (7) Expansion of COOL in Food Safety Measures; COOL for Dairy Products. Illustrations.

Abstract: This hearing examines the adequacy of current labeling requirements for food imports and discusses whether or not there is a need to expand or reform these labeling requirements. Testimony was received from several federal officials (including representatives from the General Accounting Office, the Customs Service, the Dept. of Agriculture, and the Dept. of Health and Human Services) and numerous corporate and industry representatives. The specific topic of the hearing was country-of-origin labeling.