Voluntary-COOL Passes House Ag Committee

September 2004 -- The House Agriculture Committee approved by voice vote on July 22, 2004, a bill that replaces mandatory Country-of-Origin-Labeling (COOL) with a voluntary program.

Reps. Robert Goodlatte (R-VA) and Charlie Stenholm (R-TX) introduced the Food Promotion Act of 2004 (H.R. 4576), which would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Voluntary-COOL (V-COOL) program for labeling.

The legislation will strike the mandatory COOL law that was established in the 2002 Farm Bill.

The V-COOL bill encompasses labeling for meat (beef, pork, veal and lamb), seafood, fruit and vegetables.

With passage through the Agriculture Committee, the bill can now go to the floor of the House of Representatives for full debate and consideration.

?ASI formally opposed the inclusion of lamb in this voluntary version of labeling, and formally requested that the committee exempt lamb and allow the industry to proceed with the mandatory authorization that already exists,? stated American Sheep Industry Association President Guy Flora.