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

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on March 6^th, released a proposed rule with new regulatory requirements intending to better align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means. USDA says that 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.

USDA commissioned a nationwide consumer survey as a part of its review of the policy. USDA reported  that the survey revealed the current “Product of USA” labeling claim is misleading to a majority of consumers surveyed, with a significant portion believing the claim means that the product was made from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.

USDA is encouraging stakeholders, both domestic and international, to comment on the proposed rule. The proposed rule will be open for public comment for 60 days after publishing in the Federal Register. Public comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.