USDA announced a multi-step effort to strengthen animal-raising terms used in marketing. The move comes in response to multiple stakeholders asking the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to reevaluate how certain claims are verified.

“Consumers should be able to trust that the label claims they see on products bearing the USDA mark of inspection are truthful and accurate,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says. “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.”

Of particular concern are the validity of “negative” antibiotic animal-raising claims. FSIS will soon partner with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service to conduct a sampling of antibiotic residues in cattle marketed as “raised without antibiotics.” The findings from that survey could motivate USDA to require laboratory testing results to be submitted on cattle sold with that designation. A new verification sampling program could also be in the works.

Under rules last updated in 2019, terms such as “grass-fed” and “free-range” are voluntary marketing terms that must be approved by FSIUS before they can be used on labels. FSIS plans to issue revised guidelines recommending companies improve the documentation they submit to substantiate animal-raising claims. It will also strongly recommend verifying these claims with third-party certification.

USDA officials say these actions will guide potential additional rules on animal-raising claims. It plans to continue working with stakeholders to ensure those claims meet customer expectations.