Country of Origin Labeling

Food labels are a critical component of our food economy.

Often the only form of communication between farmers and consumers, labels affect a farmer’s ability to earn a fair price for their products. Americans prefer to buy from nearby farmers using sustainable practices, so transparent labels also support the growth of resilient local and regional food systems.

We believe that labels should say where food comes from and be honest about how it was produced.

And yet all too often, global corporations use misleading labels and claims to sell generic or imported products at a premium while our government looks the other way.

LABELS SHOULD SAY WHERE MEAT COMES FROM

“Buying American” is an important value to U.S. consumers, and truthful country of origin labels provide grocery shoppers with enough information to support American farmers. Farm Action has long pursued the goal of honest country of origin labeling, which can be achieved through action by Congress, the White House, USDA, and FTC.

Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL)

Authority: Congress and the White House
What it is: This law is the gold standard for origin labeling, as it requires meat and meat products to disclose the country where the animals were born, raised, and slaughtered.
Status: Currently MCOOL covers lamb, chicken and other food commodities — but in 2015, Congress directed the USDA to roll back this law for beef and pork, allowing these products to be sold with no country on the label.
Next steps: Congress should pass American Beef Labeling Act which would expand MCOOL to include beef. And the White House should renegotiate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to reinstate MCOOL for all beef, pork, and meat products between the countries.

Product of USA

Authority: USDA
What it is: Imported beef has been allowed to be labeled “Product of USA” provided it was simply “repackaged or otherwise processed” in the United States.
History: While at a previous organization, Farm Action’s co-founders filed a USDA petition calling for reforms to our fraudulent labeling system, which prompted the USDA to open a public comment period and begin considering the issue. In February of 2022, the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) referenced that original petition as it announced it would finally begin the review.
Status: We won! In March of 2024, USDA finalized a rule mandating that all meat products sold with the “Product of USA” label must be derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the U.S.

Made in USA

Authority: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
What it is: In order to get this label, “all or virtually all” of a meat product must be 100% “born, raised, and slaughtered” in the U.S.
Status: We won! In a victory for farmers, ranchers, and consumers, the FTC debated and passed this rule at its first open meeting in decades, and finalized the rule in August of 2021.
Next steps: Farm Action will continue monitoring the market for false label claims, and file complaints with the FTC, urging them to take swift action to stop the fraud.

LATEST CAMPAIGN NEWS

Farm Action Campaign Wins “Product of U.S.A.” Meat Label Reform

The six-year fight to reform the “Product of U.S.A.” label was hard-won. Here’s how the movement started by Farm Action’s founders overcame the obstacles along the way.

Farm Action Applauds USDA Effort to Improve “Antibiotic-Free” Labeling Oversight

Farm Action’s President Angela Huffman says this plan could prevent fraud that deceives consumers and stunts the growth of local and regional food systems.

Farm Groups Applaud Proposed “Product of U.S.A.” Label Rule for Benefits to Farmers, Consumers

The rule would enable consumers to find meat products bred and raised in the U.S., shifting spending toward independent producers and growing local economies.

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