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Meat labeled in U.S. grocery stores as “made in USA” does not have to have come from animals in the United States, but that will change with a new federal rule.

The made-in-USA claim was made in an ad by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who was scheduled to speak Oct. 3, 2024, in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Currently, meat can be labeled “product of USA” if it is processed in the U.S., even if it came from an animal in another country.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 18 published a rule that says meat, as well as poultry and egg products, can be labeled as a product of, or made in, the USA only if the products are “derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States.”

It is effective Jan. 1, 2026.

The change is being made because existing policy “may have confused consumers,” the department said.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Tucker Carlson: Roseanne Barr: Gender Ideology, Why She Terrifies Hollywood, and Her Friendship With Trump

MacIver Institute: An Exclusive Evening with Tucker Carlson

U.S. Agriculture Department: Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book

Google Docs: USDA email 10/1/24

Federal Register: Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products With U.S.-Origin Claims

National Agricultural Law Center: USDA Finalizes Voluntary ‘Product of USA’ Rule

Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law: Scope of the Meat Labeling Law Issue Tracker

Associated Press: Made in the USA? Proposed rule clarifies grocery meat labels

Google Docs: University of Arkansas email 10/1/24