The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has published Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) fact sheets for retailers, suppliers and consumers in six more languages. In addition to English, the fact sheets are now available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese on the AMS website. The new versions of the fact sheets will help ensure stakeholders have the information they need to comply with federal laws and underscores USDA’s commitment to removing barriers that would hinder access of our programs, services and informational resources.
COOL is a law enacted by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill) requiring retailers, including grocery stores, supermarkets and club warehouse stores, to provide their customers with information about the source of certain foods. Food products covered by the current law include muscle cut and ground meats; lamb, goat, and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts; and ginseng.
COOL is administered and enforced by the Food Disclosure and Labeling Division within the Fair Trade Practices Program of AMS. Its mission is to ensure effective and efficient regulatory compliance throughout the food supply chain to provide consumers with accurate and transparent marketing information about their food.
Additional COOL information, including FAQs and a list of labeling options are available on the COOL website. Contact the Food Disclosure and Labeling Division at cool@usda.gov or call (202) 720-4486 if you have more questions regarding COOL.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender