WASHINGTON, DC – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, sent a letter to the US Department of Agriculture urging them to step up enforcement of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), in order to ensure that American consumers have reliable and consistent information to determine the origin of the food that they serve to their families.

“We’ve fought long and hard for mandatory Country of Origin Labeling,” said Rehberg, a fifth-generation rancher from Billings. “If distributors of foreign products can circumvent the intent of the law with misleading labels that meet the letter of the law but not the spirit, I’m afraid our efforts will have been in vain.  Labels that are intended to deceive, rather than inform, have no place on our shelves.”

In the letter, Rehberg wrote that while COOL is designed to provide the industry with flexibility, it’s purpose is to provide consumers with accurate information regarding a product’s origin.  The use of advertising gimmicks and unreadable labels meant to deceive consumers counteracts this purpose.  Rehberg believes that stronger enforcement of the statute will benefit consumers and producers alike.

Distributors of foreign products, while following the letter of the law, are using misleading labels that clearly violate the spirit and intent of the law.

The letter is below:

Dear Administrator Pegg:

Since I came to Congress in 2001, I have been a strong advocate for mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL).  Like many proponents of COOL, I fought a long, difficult battle to ensure that agricultural products were accurately labeled for the benefit of consumers and producers alike.  Unfortunately, it has been brought to my attention that some retailers are engaging in unfair and misleading labeling practices in an attempt to mask a product’s true country of origin.

The USDA’s final rule implementing country of origin labeling includes the following guideline:

“In order to provide the industry with as much flexibility as possible, this rule does not contain specific requirements as to the exact placement or size of the country of origin or method of production (wild and/or farm-raised) declaration. However, such declarations must be legible and conspicuous, and allow consumers to find the country(ies) of origin and method of production, as applicable, easily and read them without strain when making their purchases…”

The country of origin labels are supposed to inform consumers, but several Montanans have brought me examples of labels that are intended to deceive them.  These labels include the mandatory country of origin information listing the beef as a product of the U.S.A., Canada and Australia but provide it in an almost unreadable type face.

As a longtime supporter of COOL, I urge USDA to step up enforcement to ensure that country of origin labels comply with the law.  While flexibility is important, it should not come at the expense of providing the consumer with accurate information regarding a product’s origin.  We must find a way to administer these guidelines so that American consumers have a reliable and consistent way of determining a product’s origin. 

My allies and I fought too hard for country of origin labeling to allow our producers and consumers to be deceived by slick advertising gimmicks that mask a product’s true origins.

I look forward to working with you to implement and enforce labeling regulations so that my constituents can know where the food that they serve to their families was produced.  Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if you have any further questions on the matter.