As is outlined in the USDA AMS Talking points document, the USDA AMS (Agricultural Marketing Service) will conduct an outreach and education program specific to affected retailers, packers, and processors of commodities that will fall under the mandatory Country of Origin Labeling requirements (COOL).   This program will start September 30, 2008 and continue for the next six months.  During this six month outreach and education period, enforcement will be limited, allowing for those commodities that are currently in the food distribution system to work their way through, and for new product to be correctly labeled as required under the COOL Interim Final Rule.  The commodities that will now be required to comply with the COOL Rule are:

• Muscle cuts of beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and goat;
• ground beef, ground lamb, ground pork, ground chicken, and ground goat;
• perishable agricultural commodities (fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables);
• peanuts;
• pecans;
• ginseng;
• and macadamia nuts.

These commodities are in addition to the fish and seafood that must currently comply with the COOL rule.