What LSAS Is and Why It Matters for Ranchers and Producers
If you’re getting serious about selling beef under your own label, you’re going to run into something called LSAS. It stands for Label Submission and Approval System and it’s the USDA’s online system for handling label approvals for meat and poultry products regulated by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. It’s not a side project or something optional. It’s the official way USDA wants establishments to submit and track label approvals.
At its core, LSAS is a web-based application where establishments upload their product labels along with any paperwork USDA needs to decide if those labels are truthful and compliant. Think of it like the modern replacement for the old paper route. The goal is to let processors and producers submit label applications, get feedback, and track status without stacks of mail.
Why This Is a Big Deal for Us on the Ranch Side
Most ranchers know USDA inspection and plant procedures. But labeling is its own set of rules. If you want to sell retail cuts, boxed beef, branded ground beef, or anything with your logo out into commerce, the label isn’t just decoration. It’s a regulated document. FSIS reviews labels to make sure they aren’t misleading or missing required information. That review process happens through LSAS when labels aren’t eligible for generic approval.
Some labels don’t need to be submitted because they meet generic criteria, meaning they have all the mandatory information and don’t make extra claims. If your label fits that box and truly complies with all requirements, you can use it without a prior submission. But once you start adding anything beyond the basics, LSAS becomes part of the workflow.
Most ranchers selling beef direct to consumer or building a branded program aren’t selling generic product. We’re selling identity, story, and value. That often means claims about origin, quality, or process. When you do that, you have to substantiate the claims and submit the label for review. LSAS is how USDA manages that.
How It Actually Works in Practice
When you have a label that needs review, you or your processor will:
- Create an LSAS account and log in.
- Upload your label artwork along with all supporting documentation that explains your claims and product details.
- Track the submission status in the system and respond to any questions USDA raises.
The system assigns a tracking number and flags missing pieces that will delay approval. That’s one of the reasons the online system is better than the old paper method. You get immediate feedback if something is incomplete instead of waiting weeks.
Once label approval is granted, you can print and use that label in commerce. If it isn’t approved, or if USDA asks for modifications, the label isn’t legally allowed on product in commerce until it’s fixed and approved.
What Most Ranchers Miss
What surprises most producers is that labeling ties directly into compliance and inspection. Product might pass at the plant, but when FSIS inspectors walk in and see product going to retail with a non-approved label, that creates questions. The product can be held, corrected, or removed from commerce until labeling is sorted. It’s not about aesthetics. It’s about legality and traceability.
We treat plant inspection, yield, hanging weights, and carcass evaluation as operational. Label approval is just as operational if you plan to sell value-added product, not just commodity beef. It’s not extra bureaucracy. It’s part of getting your product to market the right way.
Why You Should Care
If you want to sell beef under your own brand, grow a direct-to-consumer business, or even package halves or quarters with your identity, LSAS matters because:
- Labels with claims require approval before use.
- LSAS is the official system USDA uses to manage that process.
- Skipping or mis-handling label approval slows market access and creates legal risks.
- Generic approval exists, but you have to truly qualify for it and prove it.
In the end, LSAS isn’t something you “hope your processor handles.” It’s part of the compliance ecosystem. Knowing how it works protects your brand, protects your customers, and keeps product flowing where you want it.
Understanding labeling isn’t optional anymore if you’re serious about selling beef outside of bulk custom operations. LSAS is one more system we have to engage with, but once you know it, it stops being a hurdle and becomes just another part of running a professional beef business.
Thanks for reading!
Bryson Burtnett
Parker County Beef Company