accordance with the COOL interim final rule?
A. In general, muscle cuts of meat derived from the Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) Series100 (beef), 200 (lamb), 300 (veal), 400 (pork) and 11 (goat) are all covered commodities. Products derived from Series 700 for Varietal Meats and Edible By-Products are excluded from COOL labeling requirements if sold at retail as a variety meat. Thus, if a packer is using imported (“D” category) varietal meats in the manufacture of ground beef, that imported origin must be conveyed in the final products COOL declaration. For example, the origin declaration for ground beef that contains cheek meat imported from Canada must include Canada. If those packers producing ground meats intend on marketing ground meat as “Product of the United States” (“A” category), then the supplier of that ground meat must ensure that all meat components are from livestock exclusively born, raised and slaughtered in the United States. For example, if marketed as “Product of the United States”, ground b
