If “country-of-origin labeling” — known as COOL — reaches the end of the labyrinth Congress has stuck it in, we’ll likely have China to thank.

In recent months, food from China has been hazardous to people’s health. Not to mention the health of their dogs.

Pet food with poison mixed in with the kibbles. Steamed buns given body with shredded cardboard. Toothpaste made from a special antifreeze recipe. Drugged up seafood. Folks really don’t want to put anything from China in their mouths these days. But without labeling, who’s to know what food comes from where?

Five years ago Congress passed a country-of-origin labeling requirement as part of the 2002 farm bill, but since then congressional leaders have kept pushing the effective date of mandatory labeling back. Currently the law, covering various types of meat as well as nuts, fruits and vegetables, is scheduled to take effect in 2008.

One would think people have a right to know where their food has come from, but labeling has been fought by grocery stores and large meatpacking outfits who say tracking the origin of food is too time consuming and costly. COOL is popular with small, independent ranchers, like those in Montana, who sell their own product and desperately want to differentiate American beef from that of their Canadian competitors. U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, D-Mont., has been working for mandatory labeling for years.

Now things are looking up for COOL. China recently executed the bribe-taking official who had been in charge of that country’s food safety, but for many Americans, the damage already has been done. This time around, if members of Congress have any sense of their constituents’ wishes, mandatory labeling that reveals the country of origin should finally become a reality.