Closing a loophole, the Agriculture Department proposed on Monday to allow packages to carry the “Made in the USA” or “Product of USA” label only if the meat, poultry and eggs in them were born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States. Consumer and activist farm groups applauded the proposal while the meat industry said it may violate trade rules.
“American consumers expect that when they buy a meat product at the grocery store, the claims they see on the label mean what they way,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Our action today affirms USDA’s commitment to ensuring accurate and truthful product labeling.”
At present, the labels can be used on foreign meat that is processed in U.S. plants. A 2021 USDA survey found a “significant portion” of consumers believed the label meant the product came from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the country.
The Consumer Federation of America said the proposal “takes a small but important step to protect consumers” by blocking deceptive labels. The National Farmers Union said, “This rule is about truth in labeling, plain and simple.” Both groups said they wanted to reinstate mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat, a stronger step than USDA’s proposal to tighten the standards for using the voluntary “Product of USA” label.
Congress repealed mandatory country-of-origin labels in late 2015 after the WTO twice ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico that the labels were a trade barrier in disguise against imported livestock.
“Unfortunately, this proposal is problematic for many reasons,” said the North American Meat Institute. “USDA should have considered more than public sentiment on an issue that impact international trade.” The meat industry trade group faulted USDA for an “overly prescriptive” definition and said the proposed rule would affect processed products and items intended for restaurants, which were not covered by COOL.
The National Pork Processors Council said it was reviewing the proposal and “it is important that the proposed rule not violate international obligations” under WTO and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said it favored “a voluntary, trade-compliant solution that promotes product differentiation and delivers profitable solutions and for U.S. cattle producers. We cannot afford to replace one flawed government label with another flawed government label.”
To read the proposed rule, click here.