New rules will let millions of Americans know where more of their food comes from. The law is known as COOL—Country of Origin Labeling.
American Congress first passed the law in 2002. Stores have had to label seafood by country of origin since 2005. But industry pressure delayed other requirements until last week.
Products that must now be labeled include fresh fruits and vegetables, muscle meats and some kinds of nuts. But the rules are complex, and many foods are excluded. For example, organ meats are free to be labeled. So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked food.
The United States has imported more and more food in recent years to save money and expand choices. Country-of-origin labeling has become more common lately but has still been limited in many stores.
Food safety is one reason why some shoppers pay close attention to where foods came from. For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella（沙门菌病）, officials blamed peppers from Mexico. Yet the last big food scare involved spinach (菠菜) grown in California. But labeling is also a way for people to know they are getting what they want. Some want to buy local foods or foods from a particular country.
The country-of-origin labeling law gives stores 30 days to correct any violations that are found. Stores and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be fined 1000 dollars per violation. Federal inspectors are not to take action to enforce the law for six months to give time for an education campaign.
Some food safety activists say they are generally pleased with the law. They call it a good step that will give people more useful information.
1. What’s the regulation in the new rules?
A. Stores have to label food by its producing date from now on.
B. The country-of-origin labeling has to be marked on more food.
C. Stores have to label seafood by country of origin.
D. Labeling of food should include more useful information.
2. Why has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?
A. Because it is economical and provides people with more choices.
B. Because the United States is short of food supply.
C. Because Americans need more and more food recently.
D. Because foreign food is of higher quality than native food.
3. Consumers are more concerned about where foods came from because ______.
A. they are curious about the country of the food origin
B. they are particular about the tastes of the food
C. they are concerned about food safety and want to get what they want
D. most of the shoppers are food safety activists themselves
4. The new rules of the country-of-origin labeling law will come into effect ______.
A. right now B. in a month C. in three months D. in half a year
5. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. Most Americans prefer imported vegetables to the vegetables grown in local places.
B. The government of America will forbid importing peppers from Mexico.
C. The law was not fully carried out until last week because of food industry’s resistance.
D. Store owners are most likely to be the supporters of the law.
