New year, new label. January 1, 2026, marked the compliance date of a USDA rule adopted in 2024 concerning the voluntary labeling of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)-regulated products carrying US-origin claims. The rule approved the use of a voluntary label ("Product of USA" and “Made in the USA”) for single ingredient FSIS-regulated products derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S. Those labels are also generically available for use on multi-ingredient products if (1) all products in the multi-ingredient product are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S.; (2) all other ingredients, other than spices and flavorings, are of domestic origin; and (3) the preparation and processing steps for the multi-ingredient product occurred in the U.S.

Of course, this labeling is voluntary, but food companies need to proceed with caution, as plaintiffs' lawyers will pounce on any mistakes and assert false and misleading claims cases. The USDA's webpage concerning the rule is linked below for greater detail.