Things You'll Need:
- an interest in Consumer law, or labeling of your food products
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Step 1
Know what the Country of Origin Labeling covers. The basic items are listed by the USDA as
--Muscle cuts of beef (including veal), lamb, --pork, chicken, and goat
--Ground beef (including veal), lamb, pork, chicken, and goat
--Fish and Shellfish (wild and farm-raised)
--Perishable agricultural commodities (fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables)
--Peanuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts
Ginseng -
Step 2
Understand what is not covered by the Country of Origin Labeling law. Turkey or poultry not chicken is not included. Processed foods are not included either.
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Step 3
Know who is required to provide this labeling. Retailers who do not sell fruits and vegetables are mostly exempt. The law covers supermarkets and grocery stores that are PACA (Perishable Agricultural Marketing Act of 1930) licensees. This includes most large grocery stores, but does not include the local butcher shop or fish market.
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Step 4
Understand why some products show several countries of origin. Meats in particular may show more than one country of origin. This is explained in the FAQs on the USDA website. If animals that were born in Mexico and others born in Canada were commingled through the raising or slaughter process, all possible combinations of countries must be accounted for when the meat is processed. Under this scenario, the resulting product would be labeled as "Product of US, Canada and Mexico."
Comments
lezsays said
on 8/14/2009 Very informative article.
kristara said
on 8/14/2009 Great food label info 5*
sonni57 said
on 8/13/2009 Thanks for the good info on labeling food.