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(標(biāo)簽).
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 not included. For example, organ meats are free to be labeled.
So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked foods.
The same food may sometimes have to be labeled and
other times not. Fresh or frozen peas, for example, have to be labeled but not
canned peas. Foods that are mixed with other foods are also excluded. Mixed
nuts, for example, do not need to be labeled. The same is true of a salad mix
that contains different things like lettuce and carrots. Or a fruit cup that
combines different fruits. Also, the law doesn’t include restaurants and other
food service organizations. Department of Agriculture officials say the law is
really meant for larger grocery stores.
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(沙門菌病),
officials blamed peppers from Mexico. Yet the last big food scare involved
spinach 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(違反) that are found. Stores
and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be
fined 1,000 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.Why
has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?
A. It is economical and provides people with more
choices.
B. Foreign food is of higher quality than native food.
C. Americans need more and more food recently.
D. The United States is short of food supply.
2.Consumers
are more concerned about where foods come from because________.
A. they are curious about the origin of the food.
B. most of them are particular about the tastes
C. they are concerned about food safety
D. most of them are food safety activists
3.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
4.Which
of the following can be inferred from the text?
A. Store owners are most likely to be the supporters
of the law.
B. The government of America will possibly forbid
importing peppers from Mexico.
C. Federal inspectors couldn’t take measures to
enforce the law.
D. Most Americans prefer imported vegetables to the
vegetables grown in local places.
