Meat, poultry or eggs labeled as a U.S. product must come from animals raised and slaughtered in the country, under a rule proposed Monday by Joe Biden’s administration, in a victory for local ranchers who had lobbied for the change.
The current labeling rules allow its use for meat from animals born and raised abroad and only processed in the United States, which farmers and ranchers in the country said hurt domestic producers.
The government and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) committed to revising the “Product of the USA” and “Made in USA” labeling rules for meat early last year as part of a broader strategy to foster competition in the economy as a whole and in the highly consolidated meat sector.
“American consumers expect that when they buy a meat product at the supermarket, the claims they see on the label mean what they say,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
Last year, the USDA conducted a survey of consumers that found most of them believed the “Product of the USA” label means the product comes from animals born and raised in the country, according to the agency.
Groups representing farmers and ranchers applauded the ad.
“If it says ‘Made in USA,’ then it must come from livestock that have only known U.S. soil. Consumers have a right to know where their food comes from, period,” U.S. Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Justin Tupper said in a statement. The group had asked the USDA to update labeling on the origin of meat.
Meat labeling in the United States has been controversial for years. In 2009, the USDA finalized labeling rules for meat that required identifying the country of origin, but the World Trade Organization blocked enforcement of the rule in 2015 after Canada and Mexico filed legal challenges, arguing trade damage.
The “Product of the USA” label will remain voluntary under the USDA’s proposed rule.