NEWARK, Del. -- The Produce Marketing Association strongly encouraged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop the "most flexible and least onerous" standards for voluntary country-of-origin labeling, and asked that the standards minimize operational changes within the industry and prevent the passing of unnecessary costs through to consumers. The COOL standards, to take effect in three years, were part of the 2002 farm bill signed earlier this year by President Bush. One of its provisions requires country-of-origin labeling for beef, lamb, pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities and peanuts.
