Finally there will be truth to the label "Product of USA" when it comes to meat and poultry. Starting in 2026, the USDA will soon only allow Product of USA labels on meat, poultry, and egg products from animals that were actually born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the USA. This eliminates a loophole that big producers use and which hurts American farmers and ranchers, and is also misleading to consumers.
It all comes down to money, of course. It's cheaper for the big producers to raise, slaughter, and process animals in other countries, and then only do final packaging in the US - which is why current regulations allow meat and poultry to say Product of USA, even though it's not. This hurts American farmers and ranchers who have higher expenses, and which gives the big companies even bigger profits. Too bad the rules only take effect by Jan. 1, 2026 - almost 2 years from now!
From Investigate Midwest: USDA will implement long-awaited change to country-of-origin labeling rules
A long-awaited rule that changes which meat and poultry goods can bear the label “Product of U.S.A.” will give consumers better information and result in fairer compensation for U.S. farmers and ranchers, agriculture experts predict. ...continue reading "Meat and Poultry “Product of USA” Labels Will Soon Be Accurate"