'Product of USA' Meat Labels: What FSIS Now Requires

A “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” claim on a single-ingredient meat, poultry, or egg product label — regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) — can now be used under generic label approval only if the animal was born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States. This standard, set out in 9 CFR 412.3, has applied since the uniform compliance date of January 1, 2026, replacing an earlier policy that allowed the same wording on products that were merely minimally processed in the US.

This original record-reading guide is a general reading aid, not cited evidence. It does not depict a source record; the article text and source links provide the facts.

Key points

• The claim is voluntary — FSIS does not require any establishment to put “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” on a label.
• For a single-ingredient product, the claim requires the “born, raised, slaughtered, and processed” standard: “The claims ‘Product of USA’ and ‘Made in the USA’ may be used under generic approval on labels to designate single ingredient products derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States.” (9 CFR 412.3)
• The underlying final rule took effect May 17, 2024, but establishments had until January 1, 2026 — the next uniform compliance date for labeling regulations — to actually comply.
• Before this rule, FSIS policy let products that were only minimally processed in the US carry the same “Product of USA” claim; that allowance has been removed.

What the regulation says

The current text of 9 CFR 412.3 states: “The claims ‘Product of USA’ and ‘Made in the USA’ may be used under generic approval on labels to designate single ingredient products derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States.” (eCFR, 9 CFR 412.3) This section was added to the Code of Federal Regulations at “[89 FR 19495, Mar. 18, 2024]” (eCFR, 9 CFR 412.3), through the FSIS final rule “Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products With U.S.-Origin Claims” (89 FR 19470).

Rule and compliance dates

The Federal Register notice for the final rule states an “Effective date: May 17, 2024.” (Federal Register, 89 FR 19470) That effective date started the rule’s legal existence, but FSIS built in a transition period: “Establishments choosing to include voluntary U.S.-origin claims on the labels of FSIS-regulated products will need to comply with the new regulatory requirements under 9 CFR 412.3 on the next uniform compliance date for new labeling regulations, January 1, 2026.” (Federal Register, 89 FR 19470) That date has now passed, so the “born, raised, slaughtered, and processed” standard is the requirement in force today for any establishment that chooses to use these claims.

What the rule replaced

Before this compliance date, the Federal Register notice described a policy entry that allowed FSIS-regulated products “that are minimally processed in the United States” to be labeled as “Product of USA.” It said FSIS would remove that entry before January 1, 2026 (Federal Register, 89 FR 19470).

What this article does not answer

This article covers only the quoted provision in 9 CFR 412.3 and the final rule’s stated effective and compliance dates for voluntary U.S.-origin claims on single-ingredient products. It does not evaluate any individual label, multi-ingredient product, or product quality, safety, or animal-welfare condition.

Source links

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-9/section-412.3 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/18/2024-05479/voluntary-labeling-of-fsis-regulated-products-with-us-origin-claims https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-65.400