NAFB – The Federal Trade Commission Thursday voted to strengthen its enforcement of the Made in USA standard.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack responded, “American consumers depend upon accurate, transparent labels to obtain important information about the food they consume.” The FTC requires products to display a country of origin. However, if the products are imported and produced in the United States, they can display the Made in USA label. USDA announced last year the intention to conduct rulemaking to address the concern that the voluntary “Product of USA” label may confuse consumers about the origin of food products.

Following that effort, Vilsack says USDA is initiating a top-to-bottom review of the “Product of USA” label. Vilsack says the review will help determine what the label means to consumers. Vilsack adds, “I am committed to ensuring that the Product of USA label reflects what a plain understanding of those terms means to U.S. consumers.”