Amid Brazil Scandal, Groups Urging Reconsideration of COOL

Amid a meat safety issue in Brazil and a trade priorities list from President Trump, some groups are calling for the reconsideration of country-of-origin meat labeling. COOL was repealed by Congress in late 2015 when the World Trade Organization authorized retaliatory measures against the U.S. because of the legislation. But, with a recent scandal in Brazil regarding tainted meat being overlooked and a new trade priorities list from the President, groups such as the National Farmers Union are urging the administration to pursue COOL. NFU is urging the administration to keep COOL on the list and to ensure a reinstatement of COOL would be allowable under any renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mandatory COOL, first passed in 2002 and then again in 2008, required that muscle cuts of meat and some vegetables, nuts and fruits sold at retail must contain a label informing consumers about the country where the product was sourced.