840 Cattle Tags: How USDA IDs Improve Beef Traceability | FAT Research

Understanding USDA 840 Beef Cattle Identification Tags Posted November 2025 • FAT Research Paper by Dirk Adams with the assistance of AI USDA 840 tags are the backbone of animal traceability for U.S.-born beef cattle. These official tags are required for interstate transport and are increasingly standard in value-added beef programs and electronic disease control […]

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

Despite pressure from ranchers and consumer advocates, Congress has not restored mandatory COOL since the 2015 WTO ruling. The Biden administration finalized a major rule change in 2024: under 9 CFR 412 starting January 1, 2026, the label “Product of USA” can only be used if the animal was born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States