Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and whether or not an item package discloses this is often a concern for the consumer. We see news reports of food contamination, heavy metals, excessive pesticides, etc. and often the finger is pointed at items from other countries outside of the USA. Based on this, shouldn’t every item have a country of origin so we, as consumers, can easily identify foods that are safe to eat simply by where they come from? Unfortunately it’s not that easy and it’s certainly unfair to scapegoat a country or region of the world simply because we’ve been manipulated into thinking something by the news. In addition, when sourcing items globally how do you keep packaging current if there are multiple sources of an item depending on the season, yields, weather related issues, and political upheaval? What about an item that’s grown in Russia but is roasted here in the USA. What is the Country of Origin? What does it say on the label? Would it surprise you to know that, technically, that item is a product of the USA? Pine Nuts from China but roasted and salted here? That also is an item that can list it’s Country of Origin as the USA.
From our perspective at SunRidge Farms, this can be misleading to the consumer so we choose to only label the Country of Origin on items that the USDA has mandated. Of the items we sell, these products are Peanuts, Pecans, and Macadamias. Here’s a link to the USDA website that defines COOL and the food items that require mandatory labeling. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/COOL We hope that this information will help you understand food industry labeling and help make more informed decisions about the foods you choose to buy and consume. We all need to be more aware of food safety and food marketing so we’re not mislead by ‘feel good’ statements because we’ve been conditioned to believe that only foods from regions we’re comfortable with are safe to eat.