Labels Getting A Fact Check

You know all those fancy labels on meat…  “Grass-Fed,” “Free-Range,” “Raised Using Regenerative Agriculture Practices,” “Climate-Friendly,” “Raised Without Antibiotics.” 

Well, now they need to be backed up with proof they are what they say they are. The USDA released new guidelines to beef up the documentation behind environment-related or animal-raising claims on poultry or meat product labeling.

Why this is important: The USDA has been putting in work to protect consumers from misleading or false labels.  

Soundbite: “USDA continues to deliver on its commitment to fairness and choice for both farmers and consumers, and that means supporting transparency and high-quality standards. These updates will help to level the playing field for businesses who are truthfully using these claims and ensure people can trust the labels when they purchase meat and poultry products.” — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

How is this going to happen? Third-party verification is fairly commonplace in the meat and poultry industries—but there’s been a call for more rigorous investigations into many labeling claims’ legitimacy. 

These new revised guidelines from the USDA are calling for more in-depth documentation for all environment-related and animal-raising claims. 

For example: This could look like implementing routine sampling and testing programs that determine whether meat products labeled as “Raised Without Antibiotics” have actually used antibiotics prior to slaughter.