COOL repealed

[DFB]

Pardon my language (economics), but there are both benefits and costs associated with mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL).

Although there was no consensus, the majority of studies predicted that the costs of MCOOL for beef and pork would exceed the benefits.

From the summary:
The 2009 ruling led to labels such as "Product of U.S. and Canada" showing up on a package of beef, for example.

The 2013 ruling required that same package to read more specifically,"Born in Canada, Raised and Slaughtered in the U.S."

... the specificity of "Born, Raised and Slaughtered" stages in 2013 ... means additional costs with additional precision, ..... an incremental additional cost, but it isn't as large as the original cost to be in compliance.

You know those same talking points are used by the processed food manufacturing industry in the GM food ingredient debate. IMO the cost to the consumer in their right TO KNOW what they are consuming whether it be genetically modified, foreign sourced, environmentally destructive either domestically or worldwide, or even HEALTHY is higher than whatever costs need to absorbed in a company's profit line.

Any additional cost for virtually any business is most always meet with resistance instead of compliance.

Funny though how certain ones quickly change the attitude when sales begin to diminish because of an unyielding stance thru consumer rejection or boycott.

Hershey for one just announced they would only use cane sugar and no longer source sugar beet sugar which is virtually 100% GM.

The cost of labeling is too much is always the argument yet look at certain manufacturer's and they constantly change packaging routinely...think cereal boxes or snacks to meet seasonal marketing or to increase their sales.

Voluntary COOL is possible for beef, per the full study:

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for labels on meat products. FSIS labeling policy allows fresh muscle cuts of beef and lamb to be identified as "U.S. beef" or "U.S. lamb" so long as the statement is truthful. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) offers a voluntary program to officially certify that livestock, meat, and meat products originate from the United States and are eligible to be labeled as U.S. beef. The voluntary program certifies that livestock and meat products have been produced from livestock born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States. In effect, USDA has offered to overcome the major stumbling block for labels: verification and certification. To certify U.S. origin, AMS audits production and processing records.

And because satisfactory mandatory food labeling is not required in this country (though a large consensus of consumers have asked for it) A LOT of food manufacturers are already doing this right now using their own dollar aka profit margin and are paying for certifications because they do perceive it is a win with consumers and not a loss for them.

Using third party program certifications on their product labels has only increased the division between an informed consumer and a part of industrial food not willing to change


Yup there two sides to every debate

 

[davesl708]

You know those same talking points are used by the processed food manufacturing industry in the GM food ingredient debate. IMO the cost to the consumer in their right TO KNOW what they are consuming whether it be genetically modified, foreign sourced, environmentally destructive either domestically or worldwide, or even HEALTHY is higher than whatever costs need to absorbed in a company's profit line.

Any additional cost for virtually any business is most always meet with resistance instead of compliance.

Funny though how certain ones quickly change the attitude when sales begin to diminish because of an unyielding stance thru consumer rejection or boycott.

Hershey for one just announced they would only use cane sugar and no longer source sugar beet sugar which is virtually 100% GM.

The cost of labeling is too much is always the argument yet look at certain manufacturer's and they constantly change packaging routinely...think cereal boxes or snacks to meet seasonal marketing or to increase their sales.





And because satisfactory mandatory food labeling is not required in this country (though a large consensus of consumers have asked for it) A LOT of food manufacturers are already doing this right now using their own dollar aka profit margin and are paying for certifications because they do perceive it is a win with consumers and not a loss for them.

Using third party program certifications on their product labels has only increased the division between an informed consumer and a part of industrial food not willing to change


Yup there two sides to every debate

All the cost of MCOOL is passed to the consumer not off the profit of the company. You do not know where most of your food comes from. Driving the cost of food up does no good for anyone. All it accomplished was drive the cost of beef and pork out of the range of the poor and those on fixed budgets.
Cattle are raised on free range in a lot of places here in the US and Canada. The cattle do not know where the border is. A calf born in Canada then moved over the border to the US is common. What effect does that have on the consumer?

As in most cases government regulations are looking to solve a problem that does not exist.

 

[DFB]

Passing the cost off onto the consumer is not always the case...but it is the argument most often put forth. Many of the 3rd party certified products on the grocery store shelfs already didn't come back with a price increase just because they changed labels and had additional source inspections added. In fact where I work we have decreased prices (for numerous reasons) even after having to comply with GAP certification program which created additional costs in several areas so I really don't see that a given.

Not having cheap food is just another scare argument. Poultry is so cheap we can now export it to China to have it processed and packaged and sent back to the US. We export millions of tons of commodities. It all really about world trade and business. But who will buy ours if we don't but theirs? Maybe nobody wants to buy the other product if they know the origin. I cant say for sure I do know what opinions I hear on those subjects.

I agree that cattle passing thru the northern border doesn't look a big deal and is probably overblown but this also includes the Mexican side with imports too. I didn't even know Mexico was big cattle country.

But here is a question I think relates to this subject what is to stop beef raised in other world places like Africa (just as an example) from being shipped into the US and imported via Mexico? Is a lot of beef raised in South America countries for export? Is there a much larger world picture in avoiding country of labeling action?

 

[davesl708]

Passing the cost off onto the consumer is not always the case...but it is the argument most often put forth. Many of the 3rd party certified products on the grocery store shelfs already didn't come back with a price increase just because they changed labels and had additional source inspections added. In fact where I work we have decreased prices (for numerous reasons) even after having to comply with GAP certification program which created additional costs in several areas so I really don't see that a given.

Not having cheap food is just another scare argument. Poultry is so cheap we can now export it to China to have it processed and packaged and sent back to the US. We export millions of tons of commodities. It all really about world trade and business. But who will buy ours if we don't but theirs? Maybe nobody wants to buy the other product if they know the origin. I cant say for sure I do know what opinions I hear on those subjects.

I agree that cattle passing thru the northern border doesn't look a big deal and is probably overblown but this also includes the Mexican side with imports too. I didn't even know Mexico was big cattle country.

But here is a question I think relates to this subject what is to stop beef raised in other world places like Africa (just as an example) from being shipped into the US and imported via Mexico? Is a lot of beef raised in South America countries for export? Is there a much larger world picture in avoiding country of labeling action?

To say cheap food is a scare tactic is a slap to the millions in the US on food stamps and welfare. Look at how much the USDA spends on food stamps and you get a pretty good idea of how many in this country are low income. Paying $10 for a whole fryer chicken is not cheap food.
McDonalds was importing Brazilian beef when beef prices spiked back in the nineties.

Restaurants, hotels and institutions do not have to disclose the source of their beef and pork. MCOOL targeted only individual consumers products. Fruits and veggies are easy to label since they are grown in one spot and don't move till they are harvested. Beef and pork are totally different. It takes two years to bring a cow from conception to slaughter. They move from one operation to the other during that time. Bought and sold in small lots and large lots. The lots get mixed and mingled. Tracking each animal is like tracking individual flocks of birds. Not realistic or cost effective.

 

[DFB]

One of the big problems with low income food purchases is its more a sad choice of quantity over quality and mostly unhealthy choices at that.

Daves1708 thanks for enlightening me on hoof animal tracking

So I guess in the future long run we will never know.

 

[davesl708]

One of the big problems with low income food purchases is its more a sad choice of quantity over quality and mostly unhealthy choices at that.

Daves1708 thanks for enlightening me on hoof animal tracking

So I guess in the future long run we will never know.

I whole heartedly agree on the choice of low cost food. Processed foods are cheaper that raw fruit and veggies. Bad food is cheap. I.e. chips and dip. You can buy breaded fish cheaper that whole fish. Corn dogs are cheaper than all beef hot dogs. Cold cuts are half the price of turkey or ham sandwich meat.

Soda pop cost the same as a bottle of water. :confused2:

 

[Danno1]

A LOT of food manufacturers are already doing this right now using their own dollar aka profit margin and are paying for certifications because they do perceive it is a win with consumers and not a loss for them.

In the near term. Long range, the consumer pays for all gov regs.


Check into how much it costs to produce a ladder!


.

 

[jerrybob]

In the near term. Long range, the consumer pays for all gov regs.


Check into how much it costs to produce a ladder!


.

$1.9 trillion per year for federal regulations.....wow!
The high cost of government regulation hurts us even more than high taxes: Jerry Shenk | PennLive.com

 

[dmccarty]

Asian shrimp farming is scary!

The area of China we visited last year, ok it was way back in 2014 now that it is 2016, :laughing::laughing::laughing: had a tremendous number of fish farms. The "farms" were just diked ponds aka rice paddies filled with water and fish. In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with the ponds. The problem is where does the water come from to fill the ponds. :confused3::shocked:

To say the river water was filthy is an understatement. EVERYONE drank bottled water. Even though the water from the faucet was crystal clear, looked and smelled fine, nobody drank that water which tells you something.

We were visiting an older boat yard which was next to a yard building small ships. There were some almost completed boats on the river we were there to see and these boats were downstream of the larger boat yard. One day there was a very strong smell of chemical in the air. At first, I thought it was paint thinner that was being used at the larger boat yard but the smell got stronger and worse over time. Eventually I figured someone at the yard had dumped some sort of chemical into the water and it had floated down to where I was standing. The smell was so bad I had to go below in one of the boats to breath...

The sewer out flows from at least one of the boat yards was into the river and I assume all sewage was just dumped into the river along with dead animals, and I suspect, animal offal from nearby wet markets.

The aquatic animals are being raised in water of questionable quality. The other question is what are the water critters being fed? :confused3:

We had some awesome food in China and we would go back if we had a chance but you had to watch where and what you ate. Course we do that here in the US but over there it was a bit more of an effort.

Later,
Dan

 

[DFB]

I have friend (food blog/ author) that has been touring Thailand since before the Christmas Holiday. Before that it was Mexico. Everyday she shows a different place she eats...street vendors, open air markets, even way out in the countryside.


The other day I read this article and I could not imagine eating in some places...nope not ever!


"There's a rapid-fire burst of metallic drumming as a chef chops up a mixture of goat's kidney, brains, liver and ******** on a big, flat steel pan. He's making a local favorite called Taka Tak, after the chopping sound."


Lahore's Food Safety Czar Declares 'War' On Unhygienic Food : The Salt : NPR