This past spring, Italy extended a labelling requirement on pasta through 2021. The label identifies where the wheat used to make the pasta is grown and milled. Italy says its consumers need the label to keep informed about food ingredients. That’s debatable. What isn’t debatable is that this “country of origin” label (COOL) is among the most ingenious protectionist measures ever, and is gaining in popularity around world. In fact, COOL may soon make a comeback in the United States.

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