Senate debates fate of COOL program

The Nevada agricultural industry was waiting last week to find out if a new food-labeling program that it widely supports would be implemented.

The U.S.

Department of Agriculture program is called country of origin labeling, or COOL.

It will require retailers of beef, lamb, pork, fish and fruits and vegetables to label a product with its country of origin.

The USDA proposed the new rule two weeks ago, but last week the U.S.

Senate was still debating the agricultural appropriations bill that will decide if the program is ever instituted.

"We've been strong supporters of COOL regulations," said Doug Busselman, executive vice president of the Nevada Farm Bureau Federation in Sparks, ever since the idea for it was outlined in the 2002 farm bill.

The Nevada Cattleman's Association backs COOL, too.

"We are supporting the amendment which would appropriate money for the program," said Rachel Buzzetti, executive director, of the Elkobased association.

"It benefits the consumer and provides an incentive for producers," to maintain genetic and other important data.

Part of the reason is cattle in Nevada are usually born, raised and slaughtered here, a requirement under COOL for beef to receive an "American" label, for which consumers in the United States may pay a premium.

The program, however, has been widely criticized outside Nevada.

The National Food Processors Association and the American Meat Institute, among others, are opposed to it, and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the National Pork Producers Council support voluntary, but not mandatory, labeling.

The main complaint is the cost of the program.When the USDA announced its ruling recently, the department said the program would cost the industry $3.9 billion in the first year.

Producers would bear the least of that, followed by intermediaries such as meatpackers and distributors, and then retailers.

But those estimates, in turn, have been widely criticized.

"The USDA said they did not want to do COOL, so it's not surprising they came out with such high costs," said Busselman.

"It doesn't need to be that costly.

They have overcomplicated the whole matter."