Until now, shoppers have had little clue where many everyday foods - meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, certain nuts - originate. That's what the so-called COOL law, for country-of-origin labeling, changes.
Those who want to buy local - or who prefer, say, Chilean grapes and New Zealand lamb - can more easily exercise their purchasing power. Those worried about lax safety regulations in certain countries can avoid those imports. And the next time tomatoes are suspected of food poisoning, consumers may be able to tell investigators they bought only ones grown in a certain region, speeding the probe.
"We do see it as an important step on the road to a more comprehensive system for tracing food items," says Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
"It will be a very good thing because we'll have a lot more information," adds Jean Halloran of Consumers Union. But, "you can still be fooled by the COOL label."
How? There are lots of exceptions. Fresh strawberries get a label but not chocolate-covered ones. Raw peanuts? Label. Roasted ones? No label. Prewashed salad mixes? Sometimes.
