TINA.org to USDA: ‘Product of USA’ Meat Should Actually Be From the US
TINA.org submits comment regarding the need for a labeling rule that makes sense.
USDA ‘Product of USA’ Comment
In June 2023, TINA.org submitted a comment in response to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s request for comments about its proposal to amend its regulations that define the conditions under which the labeling of meat and other products can be labeled “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA.” At the time, a meat product could be labeled as being of U.S.-origin so long as some processing of the meat happened domestically, even if the animal was born, raised, slaughtered and even partially processed in another country.
In its comment, TINA.org urged FSIS to move forward with its proposal to change this definition so that it matches what most U.S. consumers think the term “product of USA” means: that all production steps (i.e., born, raised, slaughtered, processed) took place in the U.S. this change as the current definition defies logic and misleads consumers. Click here to read TINA.org’s full comment.
On March 11, 2024, the USDA announced the finalization of a rule that allows meat and other products to be labeled “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States. The rule does not apply to other forms of advertising, including digital labels. It goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
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