Animal protein producers could soon be required to supply additional evidence to prove their product labelling claims such as “free range,” “antibiotic free” or “humanely raised.”
The new requirements follow an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to strengthen the substantiation of animal-raising claims.
The agency will revise current industry guidelines, which were last updated in 2019, and is expected to recommend that companies strengthen the documentation they submit to the agency for approval to substantiate their animal-raising claims. USDA says the revisions will strongly encourage producers to use third-party certification to verify these claims.
Additionally, the USDA’s plan includes a sampling project that will be conducted by its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to assess antibiotic residues in cattle destined for the “raised without antibiotics” market.
USDA expects that the results of this project will help determine whether FSIS should require laboratory testing results for “raised without antibiotics” claims or create a new verification sampling program.
“Consumers should be able to trust that the label claims they see on products bearing the USDA mark of inspection are truthful and accurate,” said USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is taking action today to ensure the integrity of animal-raising claims and level the playing field for producers who are truthfully using these claims, which we know consumers value and rely on to guide their meat and poultry purchasing decisions.”
The motive
Many animal-raising terms are marketing claims that producers must have approved to list on their products. The lack of definition surrounding some label claims on meat, poultry and egg products has caused consumer confusion in the U.S.
Multiple industry stakeholders have submitted petitions, comments and letters asking the USDA to reassess its process of substantiating animal-raising claims, such as raised without antibiotics or no antibiotics ever.
Additionally, the changes are a part of the agency’s US$4 billion initiative to strengthen the country’s food system, create new market prospects, address the climate crisis, help communities that need support and generate job opportunities throughout the U.S. supply chain.
