On March 11, 2024, the USDA announced the finalized rule regarding the use of the “Product of USA” label. The Product of USA rule allows the voluntary Product of USA or “Made in the USA” label claim to be used on meat, poultry and egg products only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S. The rule will prohibit misleading U.S. origin labeling in the market and help ensure the information that consumers receive about where their food comes from is truthful, the USDA press release states.
“Today’s announcement is a vital step toward consumer protection and builds on the Biden-Harris administration’s work to bolster trust and fairness in the marketplace where smaller processors can compete,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during the announcement at the National Farmers Union Annual Convention. “This final rule will ensure that when consumers see Product of USA, they can trust the authenticity of that label and know that every step involved, from birth to processing, was done here in America.”
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) responded positively to the finalized rule.
“NCBA has been committed to finding solutions to this problem ever since a producer-led NCBA working group raised the alarm, years ago, that imported beef could be mislabeled as a Product of the USA incorrectly at the end of the supply chain,” said Kent Bacus, NCBA executive director of government affairs. “We appreciate USDA’s effort to address this loophole. During the implementation period, NCBA’s focus will remain on ensuring that these changes result in the opportunity for producer premiums while remaining trade compliant.”
The previous rule allowed the label Product of USA on products as long as they were processed in the U.S. This meant food products could be labeled Product of the USA even if it was made from animals born, raised and slaughtered in foreign countries but then processed in the U.S.
