Product of USA Label Gains Momentum with Meat and Poultry Companies

Quality Assurance & Food Safety Magazine’s Jacqueline Mitchell reported that, “ten meat and poultry companies have recently adopted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) voluntary Product of USA label, identifying meat, poultry and egg products from animals that are born, raised, harvested and processed in the United States. USDA launched a nationwide awareness campaign about the label earlier this year.” Mitchell reported that, “the latest companies to adopt the label are: 

• Harris Ranch, California 
• One World Beef, California 
• Upper Iowa Beef, Iowa 
• American Foods Group (AFG), multiple locations 
• Agri Beef, Idaho 
• FPL Food, Georgia  
• Hadrick Farms, South Dakota 
• Fort Worth Meats, Texas 
• Wholestone Farms, Nebraska 
• Harrison’s Poultry, Illinois”

“‘Origin should never be a mystery,’ said Juan Ramos, founder and CEO, Fort Worth Meats,” Mitchell reported. “‘Consumers deserve labels they can trust, U.S. producers deserve recognition for what they produce, and every meat product should be represented honestly for what it is. Working from pasture to package gives us a unique appreciation for the responsibility behind every label. Honest representation honors the work of producers and gives consumers the confidence to know exactly what they’re buying.’” Progressive Farmer’s Jennifer Carrico reported that, “Upper Iowa Beef General Manager Ed Greiman told DTN it took a little time to get approval from USDA to make a change in their current label. The regional beef plant, located in Lime Springs, Iowa, is one of the group of companies adopting the source label. This will help consumers identify products that are born, raised, harvested and processed in the United States.” “‘It wasn’t a hard process; we waited about a month for approval, and now it’s on our boxes,’ Greiman said,” Carrico reported. “’We also have each producer bringing cattle to us sign an affidavit about the source of the cattle. It’s not required by USDA, but we like to have the proof.’”

‘Origin should never be a mystery. Consumers deserve labels they can trust, U.S. producers deserve recognition for what they produce, and every meat product should be represented honestly for what it is. Working from pasture to package gives us a unique appreciation for the responsibility behind every label. Honest representation honors the work of producers and gives consumers the confidence to know exactly what they’re buying.’

Label Aims to Support Ranchers, Inform Consumers

“While the voluntary labeling standard went into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the launch of a national public awareness campaign for the Product of USA label on National Agriculture Day, March 24,” Carrico reported. Fox News’ James Cirrone reported that, “the USDA finalized the updated standard for what qualifies as American meat in 2024, marking a shift from past labeling rules that critics said allowed some imported meat to say it was U.S.-made as long as it was merely processed domestically.”

“‘President Trump has made it clear that when American families buy American products, they should know exactly what they’re getting,’ Secretay of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital,” Cirrone reported. “’The Product of USA label gives consumers confidence that the meat, poultry, and egg products they purchase come from animals born, raised, harvested, and processed right here in the United States.’” “Rollins added that as more companies adopt the voluntary label, independent ranchers, family farmers, and small- and mid-sized meat processors will begin to reap the benefits,” Cirrone reported.