Organic Prairie Frequently Asked Questions
Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) FAQ
What is Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)?
Country of Origin Labeling was legislated in the 2002 Farm Bill., and revised in the 2008 Farm Bill. Implementation has been delayed until Sept 30, 2008. COOL requires that certain food products be labeled with their country of origin at retail, so that consumers can make purchasing choices based on the country of origin.
In accordance with the Interim Final Rule for COOL, all Organic Prairie products that are covered commodities and are produced on or after Sept 30 will be labeled with their country of origin.
Which Organic Prairie meat products are covered under COOL legislation?
Single ingredient beef, pork, and chicken products, including ground products, are covered. (Lamb and goat are also covered, but Organic Prairie does not carry these items.) Turkey is not covered under the law.
Meat and poultry in Foodservice are exempt from COOL.
Why are some products labeled with Country of Origin, and others not?
COOL legislation in the Farm Bills was advocated by producer groups in the US. Organic Prairie is following the law in COOL labeling for species.
Meat and poultry in Foodservice are exempt from COOL.
What does Product of XX country mean?
The Country of Origin for meat means the livestock used to produce the meat product was born, raised, and harvested in that country.
What does "Product of USA and/or Australia" mean on Organic Prairie labels?
Family farms in the USA, most of them members of our Cooperative, are the source of Organic Prairie "Product of USA" meat. We also source beef from one group of Australian family ranchers to supplement our supply, as our domestic sources of organic beef are not adequate to serve our markets. When we blend USA and Australian meat, or when the product could be made from either source, we label "Product of USA and/or Australia," in accordance with COOL legislation. When two countries are listed, it means that product from both countries will be present in the product at least every 60 days.
Which countries do Organic Prairie products come from?
The meat used comes primarily from USA, with supplementation from Australia. All meat is sourced through our cooperative member farmers, or purchased from family farms or producer groups. All our retail products are further processed (ground, packaged, sliced) in plants located in the US, operating under federal inspection.
Why does Organic Prairie source beef from Australia?
We source beef from one group of Australian family ranchers to supplement our supply, as our domestic sources of organic beef are not adequate to serve our markets. This producer group complies in every way with our policy to purchase from family farms, with USDA-NOP organic standards, and with any other policies regarding the raising of livestock that apply to our cooperative member suppliers.
Why are some covered commodities on the shelves labeled with Country of Origin, and others are not?
Any products packaged beginning Sept 30, 2008 will be labeled with the Country of Origin, in accordance with the Interim Final Rule.
There will be Organic Prairie products without the Country of Origin label in commerce for several months after the implementation date. It will take a while for products that were labeled prior to Sept 30 to move through the supply chain including Organic Prairie inventory, our distributor customers’ inventories, and retail inventories.
The Interim Final Rule is allowing for a 6-month period of "education and outreach" during which we expect the regulatory focus to be on monitoring rather than strict enforcement.
Is COOL information required to be on all purchase orders, shipping documents, bills of lading, and invoices?
No, this is not required. It is ultimately the retailers’ responsibility to provide information to their customers. If product is not labeled, the paper documentation may be used to establish Country of Origin. Cases/packages labeled with Country of Origin, as Organic Prairie products will be, is adequate documentation for the retailer. For product that is packaged for retail by the retailer, the case label of the raw material serves as documentation.
How is Country of Origin documented?
Organic Prairie keeps on file an affidavit from each livestock producer stating the country of origin of the livestock. This information is available to any of our customers upon request for the purpose of compliance with the COOL regulation.
Organic Prairie already has in place a robust system for being able to track the raw material meat through to the retail labeled product.
We care for the earth while bringing you the highest quality food
