Image credit: Stock photography representing U.S. agriculture. This guidance is written for producers, processors, co-packers, and private label brands navigating the new FSIS requirements for voluntary U.S. origin claims. Published: December 2025 On March 18, 2024, FSIS issued a final rule redefining the use of voluntary U.S. origin claims on meat and poultry labels. While these claims remain voluntary, the standards for using them have changed. Beginning January 1, 2026, any establishment...

This article is part of the AskHACCP Listeria Series , focused on bringing real-world compliance guidance to retail and small processing environments. The greatest risk begins when the heat turns off. The Moment After the Kill Step The most dangerous point in production often begins when the cooking or curing is finished. A validated lethality step may eliminate pathogens, but once the product leaves that controlled environment, it is open again to contamination. This is the start of post...

When the Inspector Meets the Ancestor: Why I Defend Old-World Food with New-World Compliance A Field Series by Nicole Day, AgriForaging...