Two USDA agencies will begin a sampling project to see if there are antibiotic residues in beef marketed as “raised without antibiotics,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday. The USDA’s food safety agency will also issue a guideline recommending that companies produce more proof when they want to use a label that says animals were raised under specific conditions.
“Grass-fed” and other descriptions on meat packages are optional, but they must be approved by the USDA. “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 Vilsack.
The Animal Welfare Institute was among the groups questioning the reliability of the claims, which are sometimes used to justify a higher sales price or attract shoppers. “The current approval process is inadequate and ripe for exploitation,” said the AWI. It says producers should be required to obtain third-party verification of claims such as “humane” treatment of animals or “sustainable” production. The AWI has petitioned the USDA to clarify what “free-range” means.
The USDA said the Agricultural Research Service and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) would collaborate on testing meat for antibiotic residues. The project will help determine if companies should be required to submit laboratory reports to back up a “raised without antibiotics” label or if the USDA would start a sampling program to verify such claims.
In addition, the FSIS “plans to strongly encourage use of third-party verification” of marketing claims.
“Together, these actions will be used to guide potential rulemaking on animal-raising claims,” said the USDA.