“Does watermelon have protein?,” asks my four year old son at dinner.
“No, only seeds. Just seeds,” replied my two year old.
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At least we know where that watermelon came from, seeds and all! With so many of our foods, we have no idea where it is coming from. Nearly 440,000 facilities in over 170 countries supply food to the U.S. The FDA admits that it is not capable of monitoring such a vast global food network and with recent food safety concerns, like with the peppers from Mexico, that is a scary thought. At least now consumers can make choices about the food they buy based on where it came from. The more information the better!
Beginning on Sept. 30, the law mandating the country-of-origin label (COOL) will be implemented. There are still many foods that remain exempt due to heavy pressure from the food industry, but here are what foods should be labeled next month:
- Meat sold in supermarkets
- Fish sold in supermarkets
- Raw peanuts
- Pork chops
- Sliced cantaloupe
- Raw almonds
- Bagged lettuce
- Frozen peas
- Raw shrimp
- Fresh salmon
Foods that won’t have the COOL:
- Meat sold in butcher shops
- Fish sold in fish markets
- Roasted peanuts and peanut butter
- Ham and bacon
- Fruit salad
- Trail mix
- Bagged mixed salad greens
- Frozen peas and carrots
- Cooked shrimp
- Smoked salmon