Grocery Meat Department COOL Compliance Audit

Inspection template for verifying that grocery meat department products display required country-of-origin labeling (COOL) disclosures in accordance with USDA Agricultural Marketing Service requirements.

Audit Setup and Scope

• Inspection scope includes all covered meat items in the department
  Confirm the audit covers all applicable meat items on display, in cases, and in backstock that are subject to COOL requirements.
• Current USDA COOL reference available to inspector
  Verify the inspector has access to the current store SOP, label standard, or USDA COOL reference used for review.
• Audit date and department identified
  Record the date/time of the inspection and the specific meat department location.

Covered Product Identification

• Muscle cuts of beef display required country-of-origin disclosure
  Verify beef muscle cuts carry a clear country-of-origin statement consistent with USDA COOL requirements.
• Muscle cuts of pork display required country-of-origin disclosure
  Verify pork muscle cuts carry a clear country-of-origin statement consistent with USDA COOL requirements.
• Muscle cuts of lamb display required country-of-origin disclosure
  Verify lamb muscle cuts carry a clear country-of-origin statement consistent with USDA COOL requirements.
• Muscle cuts of goat display required country-of-origin disclosure
  Verify goat muscle cuts carry a clear country-of-origin statement consistent with USDA COOL requirements.
• Covered chicken products display required country-of-origin disclosure
  Verify covered chicken products display the required origin disclosure where applicable under USDA COOL guidance.

Label Accuracy and Legibility

• Label states country where animal was born, raised, and slaughtered
  Confirm the COOL statement identifies the country of birth, raising, and slaughtering as required for the covered product category.
• Country-of-origin statement is accurate to product documentation
  Verify the displayed origin statement matches supplier records, package information, or traceability documentation.
• Label is legible and readily visible to customers
  Check that the origin disclosure is readable, unobstructed, and placed where customers can reasonably see it at point of sale or display.
• Label format follows store-approved COOL wording
  Confirm the wording, abbreviations, and formatting align with the store's approved label standard and USDA COOL guidance.

Traceability and Product Control

• Supplier or package records support origin disclosure
  Verify there is supporting documentation for the origin claim, such as supplier specification, invoice, or package label record.
• No mixed-origin product is mislabeled as single-origin
  Confirm products with mixed or changing origin status are not presented with a misleading single-country disclosure.
• Backstock and display labels match for covered items
  Verify backstock labels, case labels, and display labels are consistent for the same covered product.
• Any relabeled or repackaged items retain required origin disclosure
  Check that repackaged or relabeled meat items still include the required country-of-origin statement after handling in-store.

Deficiencies and Corrective Actions

• Any missing or incorrect COOL labels documented
  Record whether any deficiency, non-conformance, or critical item failure was identified during the audit.
• Immediate corrective action taken for deficient items
  Confirm deficient items were removed from sale, relabeled, or otherwise corrected before the audit was closed when required.
• Root cause or source of labeling error identified
  Document the likely source of the labeling issue, such as supplier data, store label generation, or handling error.
• Corrective action owner and due date assigned
  Record the person responsible for follow-up and the target completion date for corrective action closure.