MCOOL Could Cost Meat Industry $10 Billion

A new economic analysis commissioned by the Meat Institute estimates that reinstating mandatory country-of-origin labeling (mCOOL) for beef and pork would cost the U.S. meat supply chain more than $1 billion in its first year and more than $10 billion over the following decade, with much of those costs ultimately passed on to consumers.

The report, The Economic Impact of mCOOL on the Beef and Pork Value Chains, was prepared by Decision Innovation Solutions and updates previous USDA and industry research using production, trade, market, and consumption data from 2021 through 2025.

Researchers evaluated the potential economic effects of reinstating the 2013 mandatory country-of-origin labeling requirements, finding that compliance costs associated with tracking, recordkeeping, product segregation, labeling, and verification would substantially increase costs throughout the beef and pork supply chains.

Mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef and pork was established in the 2002 Farm Bill, implemented in 2009, strengthened in 2013 to require labels identifying where animals were born, raised, and slaughtered, and repealed in 2015 after World Trade Organization rulings found the policy discriminated against Canadian and Mexican livestock. The report notes renewed discussion of mCOOL has emerged in 2026 as lawmakers consider restoring the labeling requirements.

According to the analysis, first-year implementation costs under the 2013 mCOOL framework would total $1.02 billion, including $721.3 million for the beef industry and $295.5 million for pork. Over five years, cumulative implementation costs would total approximately $4.8 billion, while 10-year costs would reach about $10.1 billion. Beef accounts for roughly 70 percent of total implementation costs, with pork making up the remaining 30 percent.

Researchers estimate consumers would ultimately absorb much of those costs through higher meat prices. The report projects consumers would spend an additional $835.1 million annually on beef purchases and $284.3 million annually on pork purchases — more than $1.1 billion in combined annual food costs.