by Tom Ganert
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be cracking down on false claims on labeling of meat claiming it is “grass-fed,” “free-range,” “raised without antibiotics,” or “no antibiotics ever.”
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has received petitions, comments and letters asking the agency to boost oversight of marketing claims made by the meat and poultry industry, the agency said Wednesday in a news release. The agency will then determine if it needs to do more rulemaking on the industry’s claims.
Meat and poultry industry claims such as “grass-fed” and “free-range” are voluntary marketing claims that are approved by the FSIS. The agency notes that the the “veracity of ‘negative’ antibiotics claims (e.g., ‘raised without antibiotics’ or ‘no antibiotics ever’) has come into question.”
The FSIS said will revise its guidelines that recommend companies bolster documentation they submit to the agency “to substantiate animal-raising claims.” The agency will also “strongly encourage” use of third-party certification of industry claims, according to the news release.
The results of this project, the agency says, will help then determine if there is a need to start 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 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in the press release. “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.”
FSIS most recently updated its guideline on these claims in 2019, the USDA statement said.
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Tom Gantert worked at many daily newspapers including the Ann Arbor News, Lansing State Journal and USA Today. Gantert was the managing editor of Michigan Capitol Confidential for five years before joining The Center Square.
