Many shoppers see a USDA stamp and automatically assume they’re buying beef from American cattle. But that isn’t necessarily the case. Under the temporary policy change, as much as 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings can be imported into the United States at reduced tariffs and later blended into ground beef that looks virtually identical to domestic meat.

The biggest clues may be hidden in the wording on the package. Phrases such as “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” indicate that the cattle were born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States. Less specific wording, however, could indicate that the beef is imported or comes from multiple countries.

Country-of-origin information can also be easy to overlook, sometimes appearing in tiny print near the nutrition facts. When beef from different countries is combined, several nations may be listed under terms such as “commingled.” And labels like “USDA Prime” or “USDA Choice” refer to the meat’s quality grade—not where the cattle came from. Even wording such as “processed in the USA” doesn’t necessarily mean the cattle were American; imported beef may simply have been cut, packaged, or processed on U.S. soil.

With beef prices climbing and American cattle herds getting smaller, knowing what those small words on the label actually mean could make a big difference when deciding what ends up in your shopping cart.