BOONE, IA (AgCentral) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced updated guidelines aimed at strengthening the documentation supporting animal-raising and environment-related claims on meat and poultry product labels, a media release states. The move is part of the Biden administration’s ongoing effort to protect consumers from misleading labels and promote fair competition in the American economy.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized the importance of these updates, stating that they will “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.”

The guidelines focus on voluntary marketing claims such as “Raised Without Antibiotics,” “Grass-Fed,” and “Free-Range,” as well as environment-related claims like “Raised using Regenerative Agriculture Practices” and “Climate-Friendly.” These labels highlight specific practices related to animal raising and environmental stewardship, and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reviews the documentation supporting these claims before they can appear on product labels.

A key aspect of the updated guideline is the strong encouragement for third-party certification to verify that these claims are accurate and not misleading. The revisions also call for more robust documentation, particularly for environment-related and animal-raising claims.

One of the most significant changes pertains to “negative” antibiotic claims, such as “Raised Without Antibiotics.” The updated guideline recommends that establishments implement routine sampling and testing programs to detect antibiotic use or obtain third-party certification that includes testing. This change comes after a study conducted by FSIS and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found antibiotic residues in approximately 20% of samples from cattle marketed under the “Raised Without Antibiotics” label.

In response to these findings, FSIS has taken steps to enforce accuracy in labeling. Establishments with positive results have been advised to conduct root cause analyses and implement corrective actions. FSIS also made it clear that it will take enforcement action against any establishments found making false or misleading claims.

Further actions, including random sampling and potential rulemaking, may be considered to ensure that these claims are substantiated. FSIS and ARS plan to publish a peer-reviewed paper detailing the study’s results in the near future, further underscoring the need for rigorous verification of labeling claims.

The updated guidelines mark the first revision since 2019 and reflect feedback from various stakeholders, public comments, and recent sampling data. The full details of the guideline and the related study can be found in the Federal Register Notice.