NEVADA, Iowa (DTN) -- Several beef organizations applaud the recent promotion by USDA of voluntary Product of USA labeling for meat, poultry and egg products from animals born, raised, harvested and processed in the United States.

Ethan Lane, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), told cattle producers at an event in Nevada, Iowa, Tuesday, the new voluntary labeling is totally different than previous Product of USA labels. The event was sponsored by the Iowa Cattlemen's Association.

"Previous packages that had the Product of USA label could be from another country because that label is an FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) label that for the last 35 years has only gone to signify that it has passed USDA inspection process, that's all it meant," he said.

NCBA CEO Colin Woodall stated the past label wasn't an illegal label nor mislabeled; however, it was labeled according to where the meat ended up. There wasn't a list of who was allowed to use the labels.

"They (FSIS) said they put out some guidance and assume everyone is doing it," added Lane. NCBA and other organizations said this needed to be done in a way to actually promote the products from animals born, raised, harvested and processed in the U.S.

"The only way you can use a born, raised, harvested label under the new rule is if you actually have a product that, with an affidavit or some kind of proof, you can demonstrate, and this is on the packer's responsibility to put this on the package that it was born, raised and harvested (in the USA)," Lane said.

This now creates more of an opportunity for accurate labeling. Packers aren't required to use the labeling, but if they do, it must be legitimate. Lane said it also created 50 state-based labels. "You can now, by default, do a born, raised and harvested in Iowa label, through a USDA facility in Iowa without having to go through a new approval process," he added.

NEW RULE PUTS RESPONSIBILITY ON PACKERS

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.

"Our great patriot ranchers and producers grow, raise, and harvest the world's safest, most affordable, and abundant food supply. American consumers want to support America by buying American and this label will strengthen our food supply chain through transparency, fairness and trust," Rollins said in a news release. "This new standard policy ensures producers who invest in a fully American supply chain can compete fairly, and it gives consumers the confidence they deserve about the food they bring home."

The USDA release stated the claim is voluntary, but companies using it must meet this transparent and verifiable requirement. This will also end the prior practice which allowed imported products to carry the claim after minimal processing in the U.S. The goal is to strengthen consumer confidence by aligning with what Americans expect and demand.

BEEF ORGANIZATIONS WELCOME THE CHANGE

The U.S. Cattlemen's Association (USCA) welcomed the campaign as well, saying it closes long-standing loopholes that allowed foreign product to be labeled in ways that misled consumers about where their food came from.

"The updated 'Product of USA' label finally means what folks always assumed other inspection labels meant -- that the animal was born, raised, harvested, and processed here at home," said USCA President Justin Tupper in a news release. "We look forward to partnering with USDA on this effort and ensuring consumers across the country understand exactly what this label means. While USCA will continue to push for mandatory labeling, this voluntary label will work to restore trust in labels that consumers rely on every day."

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard also showed support for the change. "We're pleased with the secretary's support of this new standard for this voluntary label," Bullard said in a statement. "Today, when consumers see the 'Product of USA' label, they can be assured that the beef is entirely a USA product produced entirely by domestic farmers and ranchers and by beef packers operating in the United States. This is a positive step in advancing our goal of empowering consumers to support America's beef supply chain through their purchasing decisions."

MANDATORY LABELING SUGGESTED

It is Bullard's hope Congress would follow up with this momentum by passing mandatory country-of-origin labeling to require the application of this same labeling standard on all domestic and imported beef sold in America's grocery stores.

"Simply put, consumers deserve to know where the beef they purchase is produced and by whom, and Secretary Rollins is helping to provide them with that important information," he said.

Tuper said this is a step to bridge the gap between U.S. cattle producers and the consumers eating the beef to make sure everyone understands what the label means. "When consumers see 'Product of USA,' they deserve the confidence knowing that they are buying food that was raised and processed right here in the U.S. It's a clear, common-sense standard that celebrates each farmer and rancher that is behind a "Product of USA" label," he said.

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

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