U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today reintroduced the USA Beef Act, legislation to limit the use of the “Product of USA” label only to beef products that are born, raised and slaughtered in the United States. The legislation would also codify the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) rule addressing the same issue.
In March 2023, USDA proposed a rule which requires that the “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” labels can only be applied to meat, poultry and egg products that are born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States. It doesn’t mandate a U.S.-origin label, but rather creates a voluntary opportunity to claim the label on products if requirements are met. This rule was finalized in March 2024 and went into effect in May 2024, with all producers required to comply by the start of 2026.
Because this is a rule issued by an executive agency, it can be revoked at any time by future administrations. Rounds’ legislation would permanently protect this rule by putting it into law.
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