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.
USDA’s final “Product of USA” rule is supported by petitions, thousands of comments from stakeholders, and data from a nationwide consumer survey.
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.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Country of origin labeling has certainly been something consumers and farmers/ranchers alike have supported. However, the rule for what constitutes “Product of the USA” or “Made in the USA”, has not been crystal clear. That has led to abuse and confusion over the definition for the terms. USDA has finally addressed most of those concerns with this new ruling. For those who are concerned about the origin and handling of their food, this new rule should be helpful. It should also support the efforts to sell our agricultural products overseas as well. In many cases, it could even foster a slight premium for the home grown and packaged products! That extra premium could turn into increased truck sales.
