Department of Agriculture March 12, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would amend the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulations to change the labeling provisions for muscle cut covered commodities to provide consumers with more specific information, and amend the definition for ``retailer'' to include any person subject to be licensed as a retailer under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). The COOL regulations are issued pursuant to the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1996. The Agency is issuing this rule to propose changes to the labeling provisions for muscle cut covered commodities to provide consumers with more specific information and is proposing other modifications to enhance the overall operation of the program.

We are informing the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is soliciting feedback from our stakeholders regarding cross-Agency strategic priorities. We are also announcing that APHIS is hosting a public meeting to share information about the Agency's budget and program restructuring, as well as to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions and share their perspective.