USDA launches campaign to raise awareness for new "Product of USA" label rules
The new rule, rolled out January 1, closes old loopholes ensuring a “Product of USA” label means 100% American origin.
Today the USDA launched an awareness campaign highlighting the new “Product of USA” labeling guidelines that came into effect January 1 of this year.
Now, when a “Product of USA” label is used on a meat, poultry, or egg product, that item must have been produced entirely in the United States—born, raised, slaughtered, and processed.
The label is still voluntary, meaning producers can opt-in and companies don’t have to use it. If they do, they must meet the requirement. The new guidelines were finalized in 2024 under the Biden administration.
Prior to January 1, 2026, imported meat could be labeled “Product of USA” if it was merely cut, packaged, or otherwise lightly processed in the United States. The new guidelines close that loophole and ensure a “Product of USA” label means the product is of 100% American origin.
In a press release announcing the campaign, the USDA highlighted that 17% of U.S. family farms lost in the U.S. since 2017—over 100,000 operations in the past decade—and that the nation’s beef heard is at its lowest level since 1951, even as consumer demand for beef has grown 9% in the last 10 years. The USDA is positioning the new labeling guidelines as part of a broader push to rebuild the U.S. cattle supply, support American ranchers, and increase supply chain transparency.
“Our great patriot ranchers and producers grow, raise, and harvest the world’s safest, most affordable, and abundant food supply,” said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins in a statement. “American consumers want to support America by buying American and this label will strengthen our food supply chain through transparency, fairness, and trust. This new standard policy ensures producers who invest in a fully American supply chain can compete fairly, and it gives consumers the confidence they deserve about the food they bring home.”