Voluntary ‘Product of USA’ label announced by USDA

On March 24 (National Agriculture Day), Brooke Rollins, secretary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced the launch of a national campaign to bring awareness to a voluntary “Product of USA” labeling standard for meat, poultry, and egg producers. 

“Our great patriot ranchers and producers grow, raise, and harvest the world’s safest, most affordable, and abundant food supply,” said Rollins in a press release. “American consumers want to support America by buying American, and this label will strengthen our food supply chain through transparency, fairness, and trust. 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 Trump Administration is launching a new national campaign to promote the “Product of USA” label — reserved exclusively for meat, poultry, and egg products derived from animals born, raised, harvested, and processed in the USA.https://t.co/S5ykjGTbPa pic.twitter.com/ZYRPFxFMPI

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 24, 2026

The “Product of USA” label became effective on Jan. 1 and is exclusively for meat, poultry, and egg products born, raised, harvested, and processed in the United States. While this labeling is entirely voluntary, companies choosing to participate are required to “meet this transparent and verifiable requirement,” according to the press release.  

Cattle farms across all 100 of North Carolina’s counties generate more than $326 million in cash receipts annually. 

“A voluntary ‘Product of USA’ label is not all that bad of an idea for a market-driven food system, giving farmers and producers the choice to adopt it when it adds real value,” Kelly Lester, policy analyst for the Center for Food Power and Life at the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. “Tightening the definition also addresses concerns around loopholes that allowed some imported products to qualify after only minimal US processing. But requiring every step of the supply chain to be domestic risks going too far, prioritizing patriotic branding over efficiency and potentially raising costs in a global marketplace where flexibility is key to keeping food affordable.”

In October of 2025, Rollins rolled out the USDA plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry. The initiative focuses on rebuilding domestic capacity, increasing supply chain transparency, and ensuring a level playing field for US ranchers.

“We will be learning more about this new initiative in upcoming meetings with USDA, but are supportive of truth in labeling that helps consumers know where their food comes from.” Andrea Ashby, spokesperson for the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, told the Carolina Journal. 

“Voluntary ‘Product of USA’ label announced by USDA” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.