Authentic Wagyu Program

The New Authentic Wagyu Program Has Arrived

Vermont Wagyu owner Sheila Patinkin was, for years, the President of the Board of the American Wagyu Association. One of the projects she spearheaded was a USDA-approved quality and authenticity program that would give consumers certainty about the American Wagyu beef they were eating.

In 2025, the initiative came to fruition via the Authentic Wagyu USDA Process Verified Program and the Authentic Wagyu USDA Certified Program.

These new programs guarantee traceability and above Prime quality, so when you shop for Wagyu, ask if the beef is part of the American Wagyu Association’s Authentic Wagyu programs. Sheila hopes that one day American consumers will be as familiar with the Authentic Wagyu program as they are with Certified Angus Beef.

We encourage you to return to this page as we add more information about the Authentic Wagyu programs.