USDA US-Origin Labeling Rule Now in Effect
Sunday, January 11, 2026

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  • As of January 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final rule, addressing voluntary US-origin label claims for meat, poultry, and egg products, is now in effect.
  • The March 2024 final rule and accompanying guidelines established stricter standards for making the claim that a product is “Made in the USA.”  Under the new rule, a product must be derived only from animals that were born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the US to use the claim.  For multi-ingredient products, all FSIS-regulated components must meet this standard, and all other ingredients (excluding spices and flavorings) must also be of US origin.
  • As we previously reported, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published updated guidelines in December 2025 that provide additional clarification to the rule in response to public comments submitted to FSIS.
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