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Brazil’s meat scandal rekindles COOL debate

Brazil’s meatpacking scandal has brought renewed calls for country of origin labeling (COOL).

Nebraska Farmers Union president John Hansen says COOL helps consumers make informed buying decisions.

“If they’re the least bit concerned about food products coming from Brazil, if you have country of origin in place, they can at least identify and make that buying decision—or not—as they see fit,” Hansen says.

But Kent Bacus with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says, in the case of Brazil, COOL probably wouldn’t have mattered.

“There’s so many loopholes in that mandatory country of origin labeling law that any of the beef that’s coming in now from Brazil probably wouldn’t have qualified, or been required, to have that label,” Bacus says.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says Congressional action to revive COOL is not likely.

“It’s repealed now and I don’t think that that’s worth looking at again, even though I still support the concept that people ought to know where their food comes from as much as they need to know where their T-shirts are made,” Grassley says.

Congress repealed the COOL law in 2015 after a WTO ruling found the law discriminated against meat raised and slaughtered in other countries, causing Canada and Mexico to threaten trade retaliation.

AUDIO: John Hansen

 

AUDIO: Kent Bacus

 

AUDIO: Chuck Grassley