The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Wednesday the availability of an updated guideline that makes recommendations to strengthen the documentation that supports animal-raising or environment-related claims on meat or poultry product labeling.
Animal-raising claims, such as “Raised Without Antibiotics,” “Grass-Fed” and “Free-Range,” and environment-related claims, such as “Raised using Regenerative Agriculture Practices” and “Climate-Friendly,” are voluntary marketing claims that highlight certain aspects of how the source animals for meat and poultry products are raised or how the producer maintains or improves the land or otherwise implements environmentally sustainable practices. The documentation submitted by companies to support these claims is reviewed by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the claims can only be included on the labels of meat and poultry products sold to consumers after they are approved by the agency.
“We are still in the process of reviewing the full details of the updated Guideline and we will be seeking clarification in certain chicken-specific areas,” NCC said in response to the updated guidelines. “We look forward to addressing these and other issues during the public comment period. It is important to note that all labels on chicken packages must continue to be submitted, reviewed and approved by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service before entering the marketplace.”
In the updated guideline, FSIS strongly encourages the use of third-party certification to substantiate animal-raising or environment-related claims. Third-party certification of animal-raising or environment-related claims helps ensure that such claims are truthful and not misleading by having an independent organization verify that their standards are being met on the farm for the raising of animals and for environmental stewardship. The revised guideline also emphasizes more robust documentation for environment-related and animal-raising claims.
Additionally, the updated guideline recommends that establishments using “negative” antibiotic claims (e.g., “Raised Without Antibiotics” or “No Antibiotics Ever”) implement routine sampling and testing programs to detect antibiotic use in animals prior to slaughter or obtain third-party certification that includes testing.
A full copy of the updated guidance can be found here.
