Meat Products Manufacturers NAICS 3116

Feb 23, 2026 - Judge Strikes Down Texas Plant-Based Meat Labeling Law

• Texas’s strict plant‑based meat labeling law was struck down by a federal judge who ruled that it violated the First Amendment, removing a regulatory barrier that had favored conventional meat products, Food Dive reported in February. The law, enacted in 2023, had required plant-based products to display qualifiers like “meatless” or “lab-grown” in an equal or larger font size than the product name. Now, with the law overturned, plant‑based brands face lower compliance costs and fewer packaging constraints, improving their ability to compete on shelf appeal and marketing. For traditional meat manufacturers, the ruling means renewed competitive pressure in a state that had attempted to protect animal‑based products through labeling restrictions. The ruling may also influence similar legal battles in other states, potentially limiting future attempts to regulate plant‑based labeling and shaping the competitive landscape for both conventional and alternative meat producers.
• President Trump has ordered a federal investigation into possible price fixing and anti-competitive behavior across US food supply chains, with a specific focus on foreign‑owned companies in sectors that include meat processing, Food Dive reports. For meat producers, this move brings both risk and opportunity. The investigation increases the likelihood of heightened antitrust scrutiny of large packers, especially multinational firms, potentially leading to enforcement actions, new regulations, or even criminal proceedings if collusion is discovered. The investigation could reshape pricing dynamics, contracting practices, and market power in the meat products sector. For independent and domestic producers, the probe could result in a more level playing field, particularly if regulators curb practices that have historically concentrated market power among a few dominant processors. Broadly speaking, the investigation signals a regulatory environment where meat pricing, procurement, and processor relationships face greater scrutiny.

• Aging food processing infrastructure – some dating back more than half a century – poses risks for food manufacturers, especially producers of perishable products that must move swiftly through the system to preserve freshness and quality, Food Processing (FP) reports. Older equipment is more likely to break down, interrupting production and potentially leading to product loss and unexpected replacement costs. Moreover, prolonged downtime or product loss due to breakdowns can ripple through the supply chain. An incident at a poultry plant affected feed suppliers, transportation networks, as well as downstream distributors and retailers, FP gave as an example. The Boar’s Head deli meat plant in Jarrett, Virginia that was the source of a listeria outbreak that killed nine people, sickened dozens, and caused significant reputational damage to the company was 44 years old when it was shut down in 2024.
• Producer prices for animal slaughtering and processing firms rose 7.5% in November compared to a year ago, after rising 6.4% in the previous November-versus-November annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Industry producer prices, which rose steeply in 2025, eased a bit from their record high in September. At the retail level, meat prices rose 8.9% year over year in November, with the price of beef and veal up 15.8%, per the Labor Department’s November 2025 Consumer Price Index. Industry employment grew 1.1% YoY in November to a record high level, while the average industry wage was relatively flat over the same period at $22.56 per hour, BLS data show.