Food Basics

Who needs to label products?	A new USDA law requires country of origin labeling information to appear on certain meat, poultry and produce items that are produced or packaged after September 30, 2008. This law is in addition to current requirements for raw wild or farm raised seafood.
What foods need a label?	The law applies only to whole or ground beef, pork, lamb, chicken (not turkey), goat meat, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, pecans, peanuts, macadamia nuts, and ginseng. The law doesn’t apply to processed foods. USDA defi nes processed foods as foods that are "cooked, smoked, cured, roasted or combined with other foods." Examples of exempt processed foods in our stores would include rotisserie chickens, smoked pork, cube steaks, kabobs and fruit and vegetable salads.
How are we making sure all required foods are labeled?	Although the interim final ruling for the law began on September 30, retailers have six months to implement systems that comply with the law while the USDA continues to develop their final COOL regulations. Our merchandising group and our IT group have been working diligently to develop country of origin labeling in our scale labeling system to make it as easy as possible to identify source countries for covered produce and meat commodities. The produce group is also working with suppliers to provide PLU stickers with country of origin labeling on products at point of purchase. Both produce and meat departments are working with our marketing group to provide signs or stickers with countries of origin for those items where PLU stickers may not work or for bulk areas such as meat service cases. Our stores will soon be seeing all of these means of identity for covered commodities as we work toward compliance with this new law.

COOL FAQ's

Q. Why are we now labeling meat and produce items with country of origin?
A. A new law requires COOL (Country Of Origin Labeling) information to appear on certain meat, poultry and produce items that are produced or packaged after September 30, 2008.

Q. Which foods will be labeled?
A. The law applies only to whole or ground beef, pork, lamb, chicken (not turkey), goat meat, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, pecans, peanuts, macadamia nuts, and ginseng. This law is in addition to current requirements for raw wild or farm raised seafood.

Q. Are there exemptions?
A. Yes. The law doesn’t apply to processed foods or foods that are sold by restaurants, food service establishments, butcher shops, seafood stores, or very small grocery stores. Processed foods include products that are cooked, smoked, cured, roasted or combined with other foods. Examples in our stores would include rotisserie chickens, smoked pork, cube steaks, kabobs and fruit and vegetable salads.

Q. Why do we import food?
A. Our goal is to provide our customers with the best products year round. We offer many locally grown and US-based products, according to seasonality and geography. At other times we take advantage of the growing seasons and availability of items in other parts of the world to better provide our customers with the fresh products they want, when they want them.

Q. Are imported foods safe?
A. All food sold in the US is required to meet United States food safety standards and regulations no matter where it is produced.

Q. Will country of origin labeling make my food safer?
A. The USDA says "COOL is a retail labeling program, and as such does NOT provide a basis for addressing food safety." Food products, both imported and domestic, must meet all food safety standards of the FDA and USDA.

Q. What does it mean when we label meat "product of the US?"
A. Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and goat may only be called "Product of US" if the source was born, raised, and harvested entirely in the United States.

Q. Why are some meat products labeled "Product of US and Canada?"
A. Most of the beef and pork products in the United States come from US herds that include animals that may have been born or raised in Canada. At A&P, our beef is from the US and Canada. These meat products benefi t from high quality agricultural practices and the contributions of US producers. The law’s "Product of the US and Canada" label refl ects this, as well as the fact that livestock may not have been exclusively from the United States.

Q. Why are some produce bins labeled with more than one country of origin?
A. We source produce from all over the world to ensure a wide variety of the freshest possible products year round. All produce in our stores is required to meet the same standards for food safety and quality, regardless of country of origin.