COOL Hearing Begins, Judge to Issue Decision Within 14 Days

Aug 27, 2013

COOL Hearing Begins, Judge to Issue Decision Within 14 Days

Country-of-Origin Labeling Rule Challenged in Court

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Nine representatives from North American meat processing and cattlemen groups were in Washington, D.C. court Tuesday, regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s mandatory country of origin labelling rules (COOL). The oral hearing entertained the organizations filing of an injunction to stop USDA from enforcing its COOL rules.

COOL labeling was first introduced in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills. At the time, the labeling rules were highly contentious among domestic and foreign meatpackers. After a complaint filed by Canada and Mexico claiming that the rules breach trade agreements, the World Trade Organization ordered the United States to comply.

The USDA instead introduced a final rule, which the groups allege violates their rights of freedom of speech and that the labels provide no added benefit to consumers. The final rule requires meat to include information on where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered, and prohibits “commingling”.

A D.C. judge said she would issue a decision on a preliminary injunction within the next 14 days.

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.