Is MCOOL Making A Comeback?

President Trump’s idea to import more beef from Argentina has restarted the debate over mandatory Country of Origin Labeling.

“There's been an impact on political interest in approving legislation to reinstate mandatory Country of Origin Labeling," said Mike Stranz vice president of advocacy for the National Farmers Union.  "After all, if there's going to be more imports from other countries into our beef marketplace, there ought to be mandatory labeling laws on the books to make sure that consumers have the right to know where the beef comes from, and a clear, strong labeling regime in place to make sure that those are clearly labeled as such.”

Stranz said the National Farmers Union has been a strong supporter of MCOOL, backing the policy since its creation in the early 2000s.  Wyoming Representative Harriet Hageman and several colleagues reintroduced legislation to reinstate MCOOL, renewing the debate over transparency in beef labeling.

“We opposed its clawing back in 2015 when Congress struck it down," Stranz said.  "I think that we're in a different time now, and consumers really want to know about where their food comes from, especially when it's very clear we're going to be importing more beef. So, we're hopeful that there's some legislative avenue to get this done.”

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