Earlier this week, the United States Department of Agriculture finalized a rule that eggs, meat and poultry products can only bear the voluntary “Made in the USA” label if animals were raised, slaughtered and processed within the U.S. The labeling requirements will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack commented on the ruling at the National Farmers Union Annual Convention stating, “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.”
According to a survey conducted the USDA, consumers are willing to pay more for products bearing the “Product of USA” or “Made in USA” label. But the ruling is seeing pushback from Canada, which claims it could disrupt North American meat and livestock supply chains, particularly for farms in border states.
“We are disappointed that the final rule does not appear to take into account the concerns we have continually brought forward related to our unique and important trading relationship,” the ministers said. “We are reviewing the final rule carefully and will closely monitor its impacts and implementation, including in light of the U.S.’ international trade obligations, to ensure our meat sector can continue to enjoy predictable and unhindered access to the United States market.”
“Product of USA” Final Rule
USDA’s final “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 United States. The rule will prohibit misleading U.S. origin labeling in the market, and help ensure that the information that consumers receive about where their food comes from is truthful.
Under the final rule, the “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” label claim will continue to be voluntary. It will also remain eligible for generic label approval, meaning it would not need to be pre-approved by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) before it can be used on regulated product, but would require the establishment to maintain documentation on file to support the claim. The final rule also allows the use of other voluntary U.S. origin claims on meat, poultry and egg products sold in the marketplace.
These claims will need to include a description on the package of the preparation and processing steps that occurred in the United States upon which the claim is made.
USDA has also published an updated labeling guidance on the use of voluntary U.S.-origin label claims to provide examples of claims and the types of documentation that establishments may maintain to support use of the claims. The guidance will be open for public comment for 60 days after publishing in the Federal Register. Public comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.
Establishments voluntarily using a claim subject to the final rule will need to comply with the new regulatory requirements by January 1, 2026, and are encouraged to do so as soon as practicable after the publication of this final rule.
