Food retailers know mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) takes effect September 30, 2004, for wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish. Fresh red meat products, produce and peanuts are voluntary until September 30, 2006. Are you ready?
The guidelines are complex, with the burden for implementation falling squarely on the shoulders of food retailers. Hobart scales and wrappers can help reduce the burden. We’ve made changes to our systems that will enable COOL information to be printed out on the scale label and managed at both headquarters (supervisor) and scale (operator) level.
Download a .pdf that details further information about COOL. You may also request The COOL Operator’s Guide by calling 1-800-597-0971. Or check out these COOL sites: www.countryoforiginlabel.org and www.ams.usda.gov/cool.