Perdue petition: Free-range not same as pasture-raised

Perdue Farms submitted a petition to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), asking the agency to clarify the difference between “free-range” and “pasture-raised” claims on meat and poultry products.

Roy Graber Headshot
(Courtesy Perdue Farms)
(Courtesy Perdue Farms)

Perdue Farms submitted a petition to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), asking the agency to clarify the difference between “free-range” and “pasture-raised” claims on meat and poultry products.

In the petition, filed on March 16, Perdue requested that FSIS “promulgate labeling regulations under the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) that remove ‘pasture-raised’ from claims considered synonymous with ‘free-range’ and further amends its current Compliance Guideline such that ‘pasture-raised’ is separately and specifically defined.

In its petition, Perdue stated that the advertising claims of the two terms are not synonymous. It cites FSIS standards that state to qualify for a “free-range” claim, the poultry company must describe the housing conditions, and “demonstrate continuous, free access to the outside throughout their normal growing cycle.” However, “free range” chickens are not required to spend any time on actual pasture. The outside area for "free range" is allowed to be a varied environment that isn’t specifically a pasture.

By contrast, Perdue asserts, consumers understand “pasture raised” to mean raised on pasture, and “pasture” to mean that the ground is covered mostly with grass and other plants.

The company also cited a pair of surveys, including one conducted in 2020, which concluded that consumers would be better served if the two marketing phrases had different meanings to better align with consumer expectations, instead of the two phrases being used interchangeably.

Why this matters to Perdue

While not all of Perdue’s chickens are pasture-raised, the company in its petition states that its pasture-raised birds spend the majority of their lives on pasture, and move to fresh pasture every 24 hours.

Perdue, in its petition, stated that pasture-raised poultry carries more benefits than free-range poultry, and therefore should be treated as a premium product of superior value.

Citing the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA), the petition stated that pasture-raised chicken contains 91% more omega-3 fatty acids, 52% less saturated fats, and 407% more vitamin E.

“The chickens receive more nutrients and, in turn impart its nutrients to the consumer,” the petition stated. “Because of the increase in overall health benefits, consumers are likely willing to pay a premium price for pasture-raised chicken.”

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