800 326 9054Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins used a National Ag Day celebration Tuesday to unveil a “massive outreach phase” for Product of USA labeling, a voluntary program that took effect in January.
Meat, poultry, and processed egg products from animals born, raised, harvested, and processed in the United States are eligible, and encouraged by Rollins, to use the voluntary “Product of USA” seal.
“This label is about enhancing competitiveness for our producers, our great American producers, by leveling the playing field and increasing transparency through truthful labeling because what our farmers raise in this country is the very best in the entire world,” Rollins told National Ag Day event attendees at USDA headquarters.
The Product of the USA final rule was released in 2024 during the Biden administration and went into effect Jan. 1. The revised standard closes a longstanding gap that previously allowed imported meat to carry the label if it was processed or packaged in the United States.
While the effort has largely been supported by consumers for transparency, the initiative has historically drawn concern from some farm groups about possible trade ramifications.
Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz joined Rollins for the event.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. and American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall also gave remarks.
Consumers “want to know that those animals … start to end right here in the United States because we truly do have the best meat in the world,” Hoeven said. “So this is a great thing for our ranchers.”
A video played during the announcement and posted on USDA’s social media channels features rodeo champions Rocker Steiner, Riley Webb, Kassie Mowry, Paden Bray, and Cooper James, as well as viral social media personalities Granny Bibbins and her grandson Gatlin Didier from Didier Ranch in Oklahoma.
“Born here. Raised here. Harvested here. Processed here,” the group says in the ad. “The TRUE American standard. Because when you see that label, it means exactly what it says: PRODUCT OF USA!”
Chairs of the House and Senate Ag Committees, Glenn “GT” Thompson and John Boozman, were also featured in the video, as well as Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler and RFK Jr.
USDA’s campaign will include outreach through digital platforms, retail partnerships and industry engagement to increase awareness of the label and its meaning. Rollins called on agriculture groups to also support the campaign, and stressed that it “is sure to go viral.”
“Consumers deserve clear, truthful labels. American ranchers deserve a level playing field, and that’s what we are delivering,” Rollins said. “But in order to deliver, people need to know about this.”
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
*Sourced from Agri-Pulse.