News Staff
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Commentary by Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA Just over a decade ago, beef sold in United States grocery stores was labeled with its country of origin. The requirement at the time was that beef be labeled as to where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. So beef from an animal born in Mexico and raised and slaughtered in the United States was labeled “Born in Mexico, Raised and Slaughtered in the U.S.” Beef exclusively produced in the U.S. was labeled, “Born, Raised, and Slaughtered in the U.S.” And imported beef was labeled with the country of origin listed on the box or package when it was inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection before entering the U.S. market. That means all the beef in a box from Brazil was required to be labeled “Product of Brazil.” And, importantly, the law required that the foreign label be retained through retail sale, meaning all the way to the consumer.