COOL is back

The Chicago Tribune reports that the country of origin labeling is back from oblivion. When I was at the fruit and vegetable industry advisory committee, one supplier joked that they will start getting nasty grams from retailers again about the issue. From the June 10 story:

Some say recent food scares have made the labeling an idea whose time has come, and bills in the House and Senate propose making it effective as early as this September."There will be mandatory COOL by 2008 at the latest," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). "I believe that this is the direction we're moving in. This is about consumers and their ability to make marketplace decisions."

TK: One shipper told me that a retailer asked him to write letters to their members of Congress to express (the shipper's) opposition - and the retailers wanted to be copied on those letters. Can the industry put forward a credible voluntary country of origin law with mandatory triggers? Despite the worry about the cost and the broad opposition to mandatory COOL, a voluntary plan with mandatory triggers might be the only chance opponents of COOL have at this point.