New Country-of-Origin Labeling Rule Divides Colorado's Livestock Industry

By Rae Solomon

When you see a label that states “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” on a package of meat at the grocery store, you'd be forgiven for assuming the meat inside came from livestock bred in the U.S. You might be surprised, then, to find out the product you bought may actually have originated in a foreign country—and was merely repackaged in the United States.

Regulators at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) want to reduce that consumer confusion. USDA officials announced tighter restrictions this week for some country-of-origin labels on beef and pork.

The change will likely make labels clearer for consumers—but they could also have an impact on Colorado’s sizable livestock industry.

The new rule will require meat labeled as a product of the U.S. to come from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed domestically. It was announced at the National Farmers Union Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., and will go into effect at the start of 2026.

The updated rule is a change some Colorado ranchers have welcomed.

“My beef is now being recognized that it is grown in the USA,” said Marie Bonds, a fifth-generation cattle rancher in La Plata County and president of the Colorado Independent Cattlegrowers Association. “Before, I mean, anything could be labeled as 'USA.'”

Bonds said the previous rule put American cattle producers like her at a disadvantage because the four big meatpacking companies that dominate U.S. meat production—Cargill, JBS, Tyson and National Beef Packing—have long been able to slap “Made in the USA” labels on foreign meat they imported for cheap. That eliminated any home turf advantage domestic producers like Bonds would have among consumers who are increasingly concerned about where their food comes from.

Curt Werner, a rancher with a cow-calf operation near Sterling, Colo., is hopeful the stricter labeling requirements will benefit local meat producers.

"You can go to the grocery store, pick up a package of beef, it'll say 'Product of USA' or 'USDA Inspected.' But that could come from any of the literally dozens of countries that import beef into the United States," Werner said. “What we'd hope for is that if consumers are able to differentiate, you'd see an increased demand for American-raised beef, and perhaps less demand for imported beef.”