Country of orgin labeling goes into effect at local stores
Consumers will soon find stickers, signs or twist ties in local
grocery stores that identify where fruits, vegetables, muscle
meats, some nuts and ginseng originated. The new law went into
effect Sept. 31, but stores have until March 31 to make changes to
the way they identify products so that consumers can find the
country of origin. Already many stores label their produce with
signs or stickers.
Country of orgin labeling goes into effect at local stores
Consumers will soon find stickers, signs or twist ties in local grocery stores that identify where fruits, vegetables, muscle meats, some nuts and ginseng originated. The new law went into effect Sept. 31, but stores have until March 31 to make changes to the way they identify products so that consumers can find the country of origin. Already many stores label their produce with signs or stickers.
“I think that it’s just a great education piece for the consumer so they know what they’re buying and where it’s coming from,” said Chang So, owner of Hollister Super and the Windmill Market. “If people want to buy local, now they have a choice.”
A lot of produce was coming into the country without the country of origin being identified, said Jose Ornelas, owner of Jayleaf Specialties, a San Benito County-based distributor of specialty herb and salad mixes.
“Let’s say, for instance, you’re getting something from Mexico,” Ornelas said. “The apple you’re buying from your local Safeway could be en route for days and weeks. That leads to a lot of diseases and bacteria that could already have been established on the commodity.”
Retailers have until March 31 to comply, said Billy Cox, a spokesperson for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service.
During the six-month grace period, USDA staff will work with retailers so they can learn how to meet its requirements, Cox said.
“The responsibility for labeling is on the retailer,” Cox said. “We allow a wide variety of different labels. It just needs to identify the country it came from.”
The law does not cover processed food, according to a Web site from the USDA. Stores that sell less than $230,000 per year of perishable items are exempt from the law.
The label at Hollister Super and Windmill Market is a work in progress, So said.
“We started doing this in mid-august basically,” So said. “We knew it would take some time, so we didn’t want to do it all at one time.”
For produce, the labeling process is complete, So said. Every fruit and vegetable in the stores, and their advertisements, identify the country of origin.
At Nob Hill, Save On and Safeway, some produce was labeled with a country of origin stickers or twist ties. Produce normally kept loose, such as carrots and peas, were not identified.
At Nob Hill, some additional produce was identified as California-grown on an in store advertisement.
Almost all of the produce at Windmill comes from Pinnacle Organic Produce, a farm in San Juan Bautista, So said.
“Right now, corn is really hot,” So said. “That’s another thing that’s local. It comes from Gilroy, so we say Gilroy. In reality, too, that’s our slight advantage over the big guys. It’s nice for us to know that we’re pulling from the local economy.”
Most people would say that it is better to buy conventional food that is locally-grown than imported organic food, So said.
Garlic is a clear example of why labeling is so important, So said.
“We have Chinese Garlic coming into the store because it’s just so cheap,” So said. “China has been in the news for the lead in toys, and dog food. It seems like anything that’s coming from China is tainted.”
Some people refuse to buy it, choosing locally-grown organic garlic instead, So said.
“Again, we’re giving people the option,” So said.
Tom Manning, former president of the San Benito County Cattlemen’s Association, is all for the labeling law.
“I’m glad it finally took effect,” Manning said. “I think people will be very surprised to find out where the food they eat comes from.”
It is very important for meat to have a country of origin label, Manning said.
“We have all our imported beef that goes on the shelf next to domestic beef and it’s not raised to the same restrictions that domestic beef is, or slaughtered under the same restrictions that domestic beef is,” Manning said.
That is one reason that domestic producers have trouble competing with prices on imported food, Manning said.
“It’s because it costs us more to raise our product,” Manning said.
At Hollister Super, Nob Hill, Safeway and Save On, chicken was identified as being produced in the United States. Save On was the only store that identified other meat as coming from Canada, the United States or Mexico.
The issue that So is having with meat is an industry-wide problem, So said.
“When we talk to our distributors, who we buy our meat from, they’re giving us a generic country of origin labeling,” So said. “Canada, US and Mexico. It’s basically, in my opinion, the same thing as not having the country of origin labeling.”
The major packing houses have sites across North America, So said.
“They have six or eight of them, and they’re pooling meat that could be coming from Washington, Wyoming and Mexico,” So said. “They don’t necessarily have tags for every animal that’s coming through. That’s how come you’re getting such a generic thing like US, Canada and Mexico.”
At the Windmill Market, 95 percent of their meat comes from the United States, So said.
“If you have one producer saying North American, then you have to run into, do I want to switch signs all day?” So said. “We don’t want to add any more labor or cost to putting out this meat. In order to save some money and pass it down to the customer, it becomes the lowest common denominator, which is US, Canada and Mexico.”
If a customer wants to know where their meat is from, they can ask, So said.
“For the most part, the person behind the counter will know where it’s coming from,” So said. “If not, they will be able to find out.”
