By Jasmyn Belcher
Oswego, NY – New York's diary farmers are supporting a proposal that would ensure consumers know where their dairy products come from.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pushing for legislation that would require country of origin labeling on all dairy products including yogurt, ice cream and cheese. The current labeling law applies to nuts, fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood.
Eric Ooms, of the New York Farm Bureau, said if the cost of processing the labels gets passed onto consumers, it would not be much.
"Overwhelmingly the American people want to know where their food comes from." said Ooms, "There will probably be a cost initially, but once it's in to the system it's just another part of doing business for them. There may be an initial cost of a changed label but aside from that it shouldn't be that difficult to do."
Both Ooms and Gillibrand said the law would give farmers a competitive local edge while helping to protect consumers from tainted foreign foods.