Country of Origin Labeling on holdCountry of Origin Labeling on hold

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) is among the ninth-hour regulations imposed by the Bush administration that President Obama has blocked, saying that the new regs must be reviewed before they take effect. COOL would allow consumers to identify (and choose) where their food -- such as meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables -- comes from. But not so fast...

COOL opponents say that it would let meat produced in the U.S. in factories that also process meat from international sources carry a confusing "multinational" label. Savvy? In a memo to federal departments and agencies, Rahm Emanuel asked agencies to extend dates effective by 60 days. In addition to COOL, other regulations that have been frozen include ones that would make it easier for factory owners to evade emission control, and another to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list.