ALBANY, NY – Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says it’s time for a “Country of
Origin” label on products containing milk – Capital District Bureau Chief Dave
Lucas reports.
Responding to yet another recall of milk from China, Gillibrand is moving ahead
with a push for legislation that would require country of origin labeling (COOL)
on all dairy products. Speaking as a elected official AND as a mother,
Gillibrand stressed the importance of safety. In February, the Chinese
government recalled 170 tons of melamine-tainted milk powder. In 2008, milk
tainted with melamine killed at least six infants and sickened more than 300,000
in China. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), during the
past five years, U.S. dairy imports averaged around $2.7 billion annually. The
fear is that if the U.S. cedes production of food to the lowest-cost producer,
consolidation is next — followed by outsourcing. Gillibrand believes it is a
national security imperative.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s current COOL law went into
effect requiring Country of Origin labeling for nuts, fruits, vegetables, meats,
and seafood. The Dairy COOL Act would extend COOL requirements to include dairy
products – milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and butter. In addition to Dairy
COOL, Senator Gillibrand announced legislation to ensure stable farm milk
pricing by requiring cold storage facilities to report their inventories to the
USDA. The Dairy COOL Act of 2009 is still at the Committee stage of the
legislative process.
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