The findings come from an economic study conducted by Decision Innovation Solutions on behalf of the U.S. Meat Institute.
Analysts assessed the potential impact of reinstating mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (mCOOL). The requirements would provide consumers with information about the country in which an animal was born, raised and slaughtered.
According to the estimates, total compliance costs in the first year would reach approximately $1.02 billion. Of this amount, around $721 million would be borne by the beef sector and $296 million by the pork sector.
Over five years, industry costs could reach $4.8 billion, while over ten years they could exceed $10.1 billion.
Consumers Would Pay More
The authors of the study expect businesses to pass a significant share of the additional costs on through retail prices. As a result, U.S. consumers could spend an additional $835 million on beef and $284 million on pork each year.
The total increase in household spending on these types of meat is estimated at more than $1.1 billion annually.
Meat packers, processors and retailers would face the greatest financial burden. They would be required to ensure product traceability, maintain additional records, segregate raw materials by origin, apply labels and verify the accuracy of the information provided.
Compliance costs for U.S. beef retailers alone could approach $488 million in the first year.
Ground Beef Would Be the Most Difficult to Label
Ground beef presents particular challenges, as it accounted for nearly 48% of all beef consumed in the United States in 2025.
Its production often combines imported lean beef with trimmings of U.S. origin. As a result, identifying and declaring the origin of the finished product would require more complex recordkeeping and separate storage of raw materials.
Compliance costs for the ground beef segment alone could range from $202 million to $688 million per year.
Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute, stressed that introducing mCOOL would lead to real cost increases and higher prices for consumers who are already facing rising food costs.
She also noted that the additional regulatory burden would come at a challenging time for the industry. U.S. beef processors are operating with the smallest cattle herd in 75 years and record-high cattle prices.
PigUA.info, based on materials from thepigsite.com