Last week, we reported that the USDA’s Country Of Origin Labeling (COOL) law had officially gone into effect as of March 16, 2009. The legislation was actually implemented on September 30, 2008, but the deadline for compliance was last week.
There has been some media coverage and excitement surrounding the COOL requirements, but we fear its introduction has also led to confusion among consumers. Supply chain operators already realize that the recent COOL legislation is separate from the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI). Consumers, on the other hand, may be unaware that the two programs are exclusive of each other.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at the COOL law and how it differs from the Produce Traceability Initiative. While COOL offers consumers a higher level of traceback information about some of the food and produce they buy, there are limitations which should not be overlooked.
Pros And Cons Of COOL Legislation
COOL will provide consumers with more information regarding the country from which their food was sourced. So, milk from China will be labeled as such. Beef from Canada and produce from Mexico will be labeled accordingly. The labels will also let consumers better identify the manner in which their produce was grown, or in the case of meat, raised and slaughtered. As a result, consumers will be able to make better choices regarding the food they buy.
Unfortunately, COOL excludes a number of food products. For example, a variety of processed items as well as food and produce served in cafeterias, restaurants, bars, and lounges are largely excluded. Also, the legislation is expected to have an annual cost of $2.5 billion. That will potentially lead to a rise in prices, ultimately reducing the amount of food people buy.
Lastly, knowing the country of origin from which food is sourced does not provide adequate traceback in the event of contamination.
How GS1 Tracking Provides Better Produce Traceability
The GS1 standards that are being used by the Produce Traceability Initiative will provide much better traceback than the COOL law. By the end of this month (March, 2009), each food and produce lot will travel through the supply chain with GS1 prefixes and 14-digit GTIN numbers. Rather than identifying only the country of origin, these numbers will identify each brand owner throughout the supply chain.
If a lot is tainted, the GS1 tracking standards will quickly isolate the source of contamination. The food industry can respond swiftly in a targeted fashion that preserves the public’s health while eliminating the need for expensive widespread recalls.
eProduce’s Fresh Produce Tracing Software Offers Fast GS1 Compliance
With the Produce Traceability Initiative’s first set of deadlines looming (March 31, 2009), many supply chain operators are racing to comply. Suppliers, packers, growers, and distributors must bring their internal traceback systems into compliance with the PTI’s tracking standards.
eProduce’s web-based process management software offers a seamless transition for supply chain companies that still need to comply with GS1 standards. It also provides real-time distribution and inventory management information at their fingertips. Regardless of lot volume, delivery system complexity, or order fulfillment tracking needs, eProduce has been developed to provide flexible, transparent information management.
The March 2009 deadlines are merely the first in a series which extend through 2012. eProduce can help supply chain companies maintain their operations while meeting future PTI traceability standards.
