Updated October 18, 2026
If you have ever wondered what "Product of USA" on a package of beef or chicken really promises, 2026 brought a clear answer. A federal rule that companies had to follow starting January 1, 2026 tightened what the claim means. Here is a plain-language look at the rule, as of October 2026.
What changed on January 1, 2026
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a final rule in March 2024 on voluntary U.S.-origin claims. Before the rule, FSIS policy allowed a "Product of USA" claim on products that had, at a minimum, been processed in the United States. FSIS gave an example: meat from cattle born, raised and slaughtered in another country could be labeled "Product of USA" if it was only further processed here.
Under the new rule, the claims "Product of USA" and "Made in the USA" may be used on single-ingredient meat and poultry only when the product comes from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States. FSIS set January 1, 2026, its next uniform compliance date for labeling rules, as the date companies using the claim had to comply. From that date, FSIS considers only labels that meet the new requirements to be compliant.
In a December 2025 update to its label approval guideline, FSIS clarified that "raised" means raised from birth to slaughter for these claims, and that "harvested" may be used to mean "slaughtered."
Products with more than one ingredient
For multi-ingredient products, such as sausage or a seasoned roast, "Product of USA" or "Made in the USA" may be used only if all of the following are true:
- Every FSIS-regulated meat or poultry ingredient comes from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.
- All other ingredients, except spices and flavorings, are of domestic origin.
- The preparation and processing steps for the product happened in the United States.
Other origin claims, state names and flags
A company that can't meet the full standard can still make a narrower, truthful origin claim, as long as the claim names the steps that happened in the United States. Examples FSIS has used include "Raised and Slaughtered in the USA" and, for a pork product from a foreign-born animal that was sliced and packaged in Oklahoma, "Sliced and Packaged in Oklahoma." If an animal spent only part of its life in the United States, a "raised" claim has to say how long, for example "raised for at least 30 days in the USA."
The same rules apply to claims naming a U.S. state, territory or locality. A U.S. flag, or a state or territory flag, on the label counts as an origin claim too.
Who checks the claim?
"Product of USA" and "Made in the USA" are generically approved, which means companies can use them without sending each label to FSIS first. They must keep records that support the claim and give FSIS access to them. The regulation lists examples, such as written descriptions of how the animals are tracked and kept separate from birth through packaging and distribution.
Is "Product of USA" required?
No. The claim is voluntary. A separate law, Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), run by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, requires many retailers to tell customers where certain foods come from. AMS's list of covered foods includes lamb, goat and chicken, fish and shellfish, and fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. Beef and pork are not on that list.
What USDA is reviewing next
A presidential action titled "Supporting America's Ranchers," issued in September 2026, directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review, within 90 days, the legal authorities that might allow mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef, and to prepare an economic analysis. Based on that review, USDA may propose regulations to the extent the law allows, or recommend legislation. This is a review, not a new labeling requirement. We'll update this page if anything changes.
What this means when you shop
- "Product of USA" on meat or poultry labeled since January 1, 2026 should mean born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.
- Narrower claims mean exactly what they say. "Processed in the USA" tells you about processing only.
- No claim doesn't mean the meat is imported. The claim is voluntary.
- When you buy from a local butcher, farm or ranch, you can ask where the animals were born, raised and processed.
Sources
- USDA FSIS: Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims (final rule)
- Federal Register: Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products With U.S.-Origin Claims (March 18, 2024)
- USDA FSIS Notice 09-24: Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims
- eCFR: 9 CFR 412.3, Approval of U.S.-origin generic label claims
- Federal Register: Availability of Guideline for Label Approval (December 10, 2025)
- USDA AMS: Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)
- The White House: Supporting America's Ranchers (presidential action, September 2026)
Sources checked October 2026.