Where Was That Cow Born? New Meat Labels Tell You

New meat labeling rules that took effect six months ago will become more visible to consumers starting this week.

The rules, referred to as COOL for country of origin labeling, will require certain meat cuts such as steaks and roasts to come with labels specifying where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered, CNN says.

We covered the changes when they happened, but they’re worth noting again as more consumers are starting to see them for the first time. Businesses were given six months to use up old labels to avoid confusion and waste, CNN says, and that grace period ended Saturday.

Here’s how it works, according to CNN:

• If everything happened in one country, the label will specify that the animal was born, raised and slaughtered there.
• If there’s a mix of countries involved, that will be spelled out. For example, a calf might be born in Mexico, but raised and slaughtered in the U.S.
• “In addition to ‘muscle cuts of beef’ (including veal), the COOL law applies to similar cuts of lamb, pork, goat and chicken, wild fish and certain nuts and other food products.” Ground meats should also be labeled to the extent possible.

Do you care where your meat comes from? Will you be looking at the new labels before purchasing meat? Comment below or on our Facebook page.