Attitudes: Producers

WASHINGTON -- Although producers have a favorable opinion of country-of-origin labeling, a study released today shows that nearly two in three (62 percent) of the nation's meat, vegetable, and fruit producers oppose the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law in its current form and want Congress to change or repeal the law before it goes into effect.

ELMWOOOD PARK, N.J. -- An astounding 50 percent of food industry professionals surveyed by the Food Institute don't know that all domestic and most foreign food manufacturing and distribution facilities must register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by Dec. 12 of this year as FDA implements the Bioterrorism Act. Another 21 percent know about the requirement but have done nothing to prepare.

CHICAGO -- Kellogg Co. is considering reformulating some of its products, especially Keebler cookies, to reduce fat content, its chief executive officer told Reuters on Monday.

BRUSSELS - The U.S. administration is finding it tough to decide on launching a trade dispute case against the European Union over its ban on gene-modified foods, a U.S. trade official said on Monday.

LONDON - Some scientists are questioning whether a steady diet of hamburgers, fries and foods high in fat and loaded with calories could be addictive, Reuters reports.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. District Court in Michigan has ruled as unconstitutional a national pork promotional program, famous for its TV ads with the catch-phrase "The Other White Meat", the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Monday.

WASHINGTON - McDonald's will soon begin buying beef from overseas, citing a shortage of the U.S. meat that's lean enough to make burgers, The Associated Press reports.

WASHINGTON - The Food Marketing Institute and The National Council of Chain Restaurants on Monday announced a collaboration on efforts to further develop and support industry policies and programs to strengthen animal welfare and food quality.