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Last week, the USDA launched a multi-step effort to strengthen the standards of animal-raising marketing claims made on beef and poultry packaging in stores.
Currently, there is no certification process in order to use claims like "grass-fed", "free-range" or "raised without antibiotics". Companies get approval to use those claims, by filing paperwork, that's it.
“We look forward to working with USDA to ensure labels are truthful and not misleading,” the North American Meat Institute said.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) verifies these voluntary claims, and according to Sandra Eskin, the USDA’s deputy undersecretary for food safety, "There are plenty of companies out there that are following the law and many that are not, and that’s just not fair."
“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. “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 USDA says many of these efforts are already underway, and the agency hopes to have guidelines finalized by the end of the year.
