A Step Forward in Food Country of Origin Labeling
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A law went into effect in the U.S. today (September 30, 2008) that should make it easier for you to find out where your food is coming from. Of course, there are plenty of exceptions. But it's a move in the right direction.
It was a long, hard slog, and food industry titans fought it hard. But as of Tuesday, September 30th, many unprocessed fruits, vegetables, meats and fish must be labeled with their country of origin. The keyword is unprocessed. The food can't be breaded, cured, cooked or mixed with other foods. Roasted peanuts aren't covered. Neither is a bag of Romaine lettuce mixed with iceberg. And the law covers chicken but not turkey. (Wha?!)
Some people want to avoid food from certain countries because of food safety reasons. Others want the chance to purchase food that is produced closer to home. So now if you want to avoid shrimp from Vietnam or apples from Chile, you should have an easier time of it.
Here's an article on MSNBC with more details.
