USDA Proposes New Requirements for the “Product of USA” Label

The Department of Agriculture is proposing a rule with new regulatory requirements to the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim.

The proposed 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.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says, “These proposed changes are intended to provide consumers with accurate information to make informed purchasing decisions.”

Vilsack announced the proposal at the National Farmers Union annual convention in San Francisco.

NFU President Rob Larew says, “This voluntary effort is a strong step and a strong base for permanent and mandatory country of origin label soon.”

However, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association responded, “Simply adding born, raised, and harvested requirements to an already broken label will fail to deliver additional value to cattle producers and it will undercut true voluntary, market-driven labels that benefit cattle producers.”